Air Force One
by Mistflyer1102
Summary: The 401st was an elite U.S. Air Force squadron that was called to duty at Mission City. As the hunt for the perpetrator of the attacks begins, F-22 pilot Alexis Preston begins to suspect that the new recruit to the base knows more than he is letting on.
1. Bengal Tiger

Chapter One

Bengal Tiger

Royal Bengal tigers were majestic creatures, kings in their own right. They were all extremely powerful and stealthy hunters. They possessed a feline grace that was unattainable by any other species and moved with ease in their home environment, aided by their coats, which helped them camouflage in the leaves and trees. Males were the fierce hunters while the females were the equally fierce protectors.

However, one fact rang true for all of them. When viewed from safe distance, the tigers appeared docile, and the cubs appeared cuddly. Their calm appearances lured the unwary traveler. If provoked on the other hand, the traveler risked getting his or her face ripped off by several-inch long sharp claws.

Danger was always covered with kindness.

That was true with the woman before him now.

U.S. Secretary of Defense John Keller laced his fingers together and stared in contemplative silence at the scowling woman on the other side of the oak desk. She had just finished a rant about inappropriate use of government funding and something random about ex-Sector-Seven agent Reginald Simmons. As long as Keller could remember, this woman and Simmons had been mortal enemies, something that involved an extremely old grudge.

Of course, that did not make his job any easier.

The prominent U.S. Air Force Brigadier general in the room glared at him when she received only a blank look from him. "You did not catch one word of that did you?" she snarled, placing a fist on the top of the desk.

Keller sighed and unlaced his fingers. "I'm sorry General Stanton. It's just been a long week that's all," he said, meeting her ice-blue eyes. _No need to tell her about the Autobots_ he thought.

"Ah, yes… the terrorist-attack on Mission City. No one has yet claimed responsibility for that…" Stanton murmured, pacing slightly in front of him now. "Damn fighters knocked at least half my squadron out… definitely an inside job… probably somehow Simmons in revenge… wouldn't put it past him…"

Keller watched her pace. If he mentioned who the real culprit was, chances were that she would personally hunt them down in vengeance and then there would be hell to pay.

Hell that could easily be avoided.

"So what brings you to Washington D.C?" he asked, attempting to divert the conversation away from Mission City.

His attempt half-worked. "Funeral services for Captain Thompson and Lieutenant Rochester. The other dead have been sent home due to personal request," she said, picking up her gloves. "Thompson and Rochester were two damn good pilots." She hesitated, and then said, "Mr. Keller, I am in need of two data analysts for something I'm… working on."

Keller frowned. The general's last 'project' had nearly annihilated a Sector Seven base in Oroville Washington… although Keller hadn't known the significance of the location at the time. It had looked like a general had gone crazy, attacking an American town using the armed forces. Leaning forward, he asked, "Will this 'project' involve explosions?"

Stanton smiled fondly at the memory. "We would have succeeded if we didn't have faulty intelligence and Simmons would be ancient history," she said. Glancing at Keller and seeing his expression, she said quickly, "Although it is a good thing it failed and nobody died." She faced the door and Keller heard her mutter, "That would have been too much damn paperwork to fill out afterwards anyway."

Keller narrowed his eyes. He would have to keep an eye on this rivalry between Stanton and Simmons. Stanton, he knew, was smart and disciplined enough to know when to stop, but Simmons had the potential to be uncontrollable and therefore deadly to the American public. He was the one who usually carried things a little too far, too far sometimes.

"What about the data analysts?" the general asked, turning to face Keller again. "They are essential to the planned operation."

Keller nodded. He knew which two analysts to send, and which one to entrust a little spying work to, just so he could keep a tight leash on the general if necessary. He didn't trust the other analyst very much… it had been a hassle to change his authorization codes so he could be sure that there wasn't any under-the-table hacking going on. "I'll have the analysts ready for you before you head back the Southwest. Just check in before you leave Washington," he said, leaning back in the chair.

General Stanton saluted in a crisp manner, straightening her posture. He dismissed her with a wave of the hand, and she turned on her heel and promptly left the room, closing the door with an audible _click_.

Keller groaned and put his face into his hands. Only the President and the immediate members of the Cabinet were aware of the Autobots' existence and it would have to stay that way. He would also have to make sure that Sector Seven didn't attempt to regroup… although he could probably rely on Stanton to do that. He would have to make sure nobody else inadvertently harassed the Autobots. He had assured the Autobots that their privacy and natural rights were protected under the Constitution and Declaration, and that definitely meant no experiments by any curious scientists.

He sighed. It _had _been a long week.

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A/N: Disclaimer: Transformers and all related media belong to their proper owners. Any OCs belong to me.


	2. Last Service

Chapter Two

Last Service

The air was still and cool. It was a gray, overcast day in the nation's capital city, but the trees with their multi-colored leaves here disguised that fact. As long as there was no rain, everyone would be fine.

Well… not that everyone was fine to begin with.

The taps were the only sounds in Arlington National Cemetery as the long mournful notes echoed across the grounds. Even the only children present at the funeral were quiet, a set of blond-haired twins who were mirror images of their fallen father. Their grieving mother clutched them close to her, almost as if she feared letting them go or they would be killed as soon as she did.

Behind the widow was a small group of men and women, all wearing the uniform color of black. They were standing towards the back of the small group of mourners. A light blue seal situated on the top right of their dress uniforms set them apart from the rest of the mourners.

Twenty-seven year old Alexis Preston winced when she heard the clicks from Tom's mechanical leg as he stretched it in an attempt to prevent it from locking in place and therefore rendering him immobile. The clicks may have been faint in reality, but they sounded like gunshots to her in the stillness of their surroundings. To her left, her friend Arianna Aliskevicz fidgeted slightly because she trying to wake her foot up. Alexis tried not to think of the discomfort she would be experiencing in a few minutes if she didn't move soon, so instead she watched as her superior Commander Randall step forward with the folded American flag when the taps ended.

A roar overhead prompted everyone to look up. Alexis felt her throat close up as she watched one of the four jets flying overhead pull away from the other three. It was the Missing Man formation. The widow burst into tears and began quietly sobbing.

"Let's go." Tom grunted and pulled himself up onto a pair of sturdy crutches that were helping him while his mechanical leg was malfunctioning. He threatened to whack two of the pilots when they didn't immediately move. "Move it Collins, before I incapacitate you."

Alexis briefly grinned when Tyler Collins tripped on a tree root in his scramble to get away from the menacing crutches. He caught himself before falling completely, and scowled when Ari snickered.

"I was wondering what held her up." Tom grumbled, looking down the hill at a certain spot. "Thought she chose to ditch Captain Thompson's funeral completely."

General Stanton was standing at the bottom of the footpath, waiting rather patiently for them to arrive. She twisted her gloves in her hands, a habit that always betrayed her agitation. Alexis wondered what could possibly be bothering the general this time; Stanton was usually a firm and strict woman, so it took quite a bit to get her shaken.

"Was the widow unhappy with my absence?" Stanton asked when Tom hobbled over to her.

"No, I think she was too upset to notice anything except the gravestone." Tom said, relaxing on his crutches. "Were you at least successful?"

"Partly. Mr. Keller will have two data analysts ready for me in five to seven days. Some people named Margaret Madsen and Glen Whitmann. Then we'll be able to figure out what Sector Seven has _really _been up to all these years and those strange activities in California…" Stanton said as she walked away with Tom.

Alexis, Ari, and Tyler hung back and followed the other four as they all followed the general. For a few moments, nobody spoke.

"So… we're getting two civilians in on the secret huh?" Ari asked, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

"Maybe the lady Margaret won't be so bad…" Tyler began.

"Only because you are attracted to every, single, available girl you meet who doesn't call you an idiot right away." Ari snapped, cutting him off. "Why, in fact, I…"

Alexis sighed and decided not to listen to her friend rant on and on about something trivial. Instead she cast her eyes out across the colorful grounds that held the nation's heroes and leaders. Many others had walked this stone path before her for years. She was just one among thousands. Most military dead were brought here, but she had already asked to be among the few that were generally taken elsewhere at death. She hoped she wouldn't go down in the line of duty, despite the sense of absent glory in going down in the name of your country. It was excruciatingly painful if one did not die immediately… according to Tom.

It was common knowledge among the pilots that Tom was the resident grouch just because he lost his leg in combat and never flew a jet since.

"_Well?"_

Alexis jerked when her brain registered Ari's demand. "Oh, um, sorry. I wasn't paying attention," she admitted. "What were you saying?"

Tyler began laughing as Ari let out an irritated sigh. "I asked what are you going to do now because your wing-mate was shot down? There are an odd number of survivors in the squadron."

Alexis shrugged. "I suppose I won't be flying until they can get a pilot to fill in as my wing-mate," she said. She tried to ignore the slight ache in her chest; she personally didn't want that to happen. But rules were rules and General Stanton was strict about enforcing them. The 401st handbook was Stanton's bible. "I guess I'll talk to the general about it," she finally said after thinking about it.

But Alexis knew from experience that no amount of pleading would budge the stern woman.

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, Ari humming an old marching tune. Finally she asked, "Where do you think the general will get the replacements?"

"Santa Fe or D.C. Air Force bases." Tyler answered gloomily.

"Newbies." Ari groaned.

"You two were annoying rookies at one point too." Alexis pointed out, tucking back a strand of dark brown hair that had escaped her ponytail.

"Yeah, but at least we didn't try to get everyone killed." Ari countered. "And no, the incident in Los Angeles doesn't count. That was on the ground, not in the air."

Alexis winced at the memory. Ari, now an experienced pilot, had been a rookie on the 401st three years ago. The squadron had been on one-month leave from active duty, and about five of them were just hanging around the base when Ari had suggested a day trip into Los Angeles. Lieutenant Monica Rochester (when she was still alive), the active supervisor at the time, had agreed under the condition they stay together as a group. However, Ari managed to get herself and Alexis separated from the group, all on purpose of course, because a rather unlucky police officer had accidentally caught Ari's eye. She attempted to flirt with him, but was only disappointed when he didn't return her attentions. In a childish fit of anger, she had kicked one of the rear tires of the cruiser, only to get the police officer angry. He managed to get into his car and start the engine without either of them noticing. At the time, Alexis assumed that he was just leaving to go somewhere else to find peace and quiet, but in reality he had been gearing up to chase them. What ensued after that was a three-and-a-half-hour chase that wound all over the crowded city. They had been boxed in, trapped, and close to defeat several times when Ari finally thought of going to the police station to report the maniac in. That was easy in the end since Alexis had caught sight of the cruiser number and reported '643' when the officials asked for it. The punch line of the whole sorry affair was that cruiser number '643' did not exist in LAPD records. Ari had been _furious_.

"You coming or not?"

Alexis jerked back to reality. She was standing in the parking lot of the cemetery near Ari's tan Camry, and Ari was leaning slightly in the driver's seat, trying to restrain Tyler from climbing over from the back to snatch the front passenger's seat. Sighing, Alexis took the empty passenger seat and helped Ari shove Tyler back into his proper seat. He muttered something about women, men, and inequality issues.

"You gotta _earn_ the front seat." Ari snapped as Alexis shut the car door and put on her seatbelt. "So quit your whining!"

"Where are we going?" Alexis asked. "What about Monica?"

"Her family changed their minds. They wanted private, quiet service in the family cemetery." Ari said grimly. "Meanwhile, _we_ get to bunk down in the barracks here in the capital. It's kinda sad that they are gonna squish all seven of us into one room."

_Nine down, seven left _Alexis thought sadly. She pushed another strand of hair out of her eyes. "They might just disband us altogether," she pointed out. "We lost over half the squadron."

Ari snorted. "Over the general's dead body they would. Only that slime-bag Simmons would push for something like that but everyone hates him anyway," she said. "Oh, did either of you see the nice paint job his car received?"

"No," Alexis and Tyler said at the same time.

"Well, it _used _to be black, but Jackson painted over it in normal blue and painted 'HOT ROD MAMA' in flame-decorated letters down on either side of the car and a chili pepper on the hood. Then he painted over both license plates in neon-pink paint. It was in a parking lot when the painting was done, so Simmons will either never find it again or be stuck driving it all over D.C."

"Jackson needs something new for a gag." Tyler said mournfully as Alexis shook her head in disapproval.

"Fine Einstein, if you're so smart, _you _come up with something new for a gag." Ari snapped crossly, and was silent, as she remained focused on the rest of the way back to the Pentagon.


	3. Of Cookies and Aliens

Chapter Three

Of Cookies and Aliens

The sun beat down on all three of them as they sat underneath a large, green-and-red patterned umbrella outside the Sidewalk Café in Mission City. Alexis watched as clean-up crews consisting mostly of volunteers moved a giant chunk of rubble away on the opposite side of the street, and then began pulling out people who had been trapped underneath.

"We made one hell of a mess didn't we?" Ari asked, watching.

"Yeah, we can tell the general we all got ourselves killed just because we didn't want to make a big mess." Tyler grumbled, eyeing Ari's sandwich. He tilted his head and then asked, "Are you going to finish that?"

"If you were dead, then you wouldn't be talking at all." Alexis said, pushing her untouched lunch towards Tyler, who attacked it with a knife and fork. She glanced at Ari and asked, "So, is the general ever going to recall us or are we going to be integrated back into the rest of the Air Force?"

"You know, Tom clubbed Simmons with a crutch back in DC just for suggesting that," Tyler warned.

"General just has to find nine super-good pilots in seven days." Ari said. She wadded up her trash into a ball, aimed for the trashcan by the street, and tossed it. The 'ball' sailed in an arc and instead hit a black GMC pick-up truck on the driver's window. It rebounded onto the sidewalk and landed near the trashcan.

Tyler chortled as Alexis got up. "Your aim _sucks_!" he announced as Alexis picked up the ball and tossed it into the can. She paused to examine the truck window.

"There's a grease streak on the window." Alexis said, sitting back down at her seat.

Ari shrugged. "Hopefully the driver isn't psychotic freak like that knucklehead back in Los Angeles," she said, looking through her wallet. "Damn. Any of you got 2.50?"

"Sorry," Alexis replied. She allowed her thoughts to wander as Tyler and Ari descended into yet another squabble.

They were all on temporary leave. There had been a violent row between Stanton and Simmons over the fate of the 401st in the Pentagon a few days ago. To settle the argument, Secretary of Defense Keller said that General Stanton had only seven days to find at least five pilots… until Simmons pointed out that the minimum was sixteen in a standard squadron. Much to Stanton's displeasure, Keller amended the number to nine, losing figurative brownie points with her in the process. But what was done is done, and Stanton reluctantly agreed to Keller's terms, which had made Alexis wonder if there had been more strings attached to the deal than the general admitted… Stanton rarely ever accepted defeat so easily.

So there were essentially nine disasters on the horizon.

The scraping of Ari's chair dragged Alexis's attention back to the present. She stood up and easily caught up with her friend. Ari was munching on the coveted chocolate-chip cookie as they walked down the street on the safe side of the yellow caution tape. Alexis noted the yellow black-striped Camaro that stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of the rubble, and the grimy teen near the car.

"Know what?" Ari said around a mouthful. She swallowed the food and continued talking without waiting for Alexis to respond. "Marcia doesn't think it was terrorists who crashed through here several days ago. She said that Andrew told her that Riley overheard Simmons telling some guy named Tom Banachek that the Autobots were going to help in the clean up of Mission City. Riley thinks that 'Autobots' are extra-terrestrials from some distant planet here to suck our brains out and take over the world in their intergalactic conquest."

"Riley? As in, Riley Mackerson?" When Ari nodded, Alexis continued, saying, "Do you really think there are aliens on Earth? That's information that sci-fi geeks like Tyler would make up just to scare everyone. Besides, this is Riley we're talking about. The same Riley who adopted a baby raccoon, named it Charlie, and still keeps it in the base, despite the general's orders for it to be shot on sight."

Ari snorted as she paid a vendor for another cookie. "Aliens. Riley must have gotten drunk and imagined the whole thing. Besides, how come _we_ didn't see the aliens when they supposedly attacked? Are they using disguises? I mean, it's not like the truck behind me is actually a giant mechanical alien in disguise," she said, turning to face Alexis. As if to emphasize her point, she bit into her cookie with a no-nonsense attitude.

Alexis laughed weakly, and then said, "Well… actually…"

"There _is_ a truck behind me isn't there?" Ari interrupted, looking annoyed. She gave an irritated sigh when Alexis nodded. Turning around, she yelled, "Don't worry sir! We weren't talking about you!"

Alexis winced when she recognized a friend, William Lennox, speaking to who was presumably the truck driver. The truck of course looked like it had just come off the assembly line, complete with glossy blue and flame-colored paint.

"Come on. I hate it when people stare." Ari grumbled, beginning to walk away. Alexis hesitated, and then waved when Lennox finally spotted her. He waved back, grinning briefly before going back to talking. Both he and his wife Sarah had been extremely supportive when Alexis had gone through a series of family and relationship troubles a couple of years ago.

"_Damn it!_"

Alexis turned back to face the crosswalk and groaned. Ari apparently turned her head to see where Alexis had gone and neglected to pay attention where she was going. She had turned her head back to face forward in time to walk straight into the back end of a yellow Hummer that was parked in the road. Alexis rushed out to the scene in order to save the driver from being verbally thrashed.

"You _idiot._" Ari snarled as Alexis arrived. "Don't you know better that to park in the middle of the frickin' crosswalk? Why, I ought to…"

"Apologize for disturbing you. Sorry." Alexis interrupted, clapping a hand over Ari's mouth and drowning out the intended threat. She pulled her reluctant friend away, leaving a slightly puzzled driver behind. When the two of them were a good distance away, Alexis commented, "I feel like I'm your mother sometimes, always pulling you out of trouble."

"Well, you're doing a better job than Mom. I swear she dropped me on my head when I was a heck of a lot younger." Ari grumbled, brushing cookie crumbs off her sleeve.

Alexis decided not to voice her agreement.

"Stupid Hummer smashed my snack." Ari muttered before walking on.

Alexis walked beside her in silence for a little while until she remembered something important they had forgotten. "Where is Tyler?" she demanded, turning around and scanning the scene behind them.

"Maybe he's hopelessly lost and one of Riley's aliens found him. Of course, in order to have brains sucked out, a guy's gotta have them first, so Tyler is safe I guess… damn." Ari remarked, shrugging.

"Come on. The general won't be happy to learn she is short one pilot just because you were too lazy to go find your wing-mate." Alexis said, taking her friend's arm and proceeded to drag her along.

"I vote we ditch him." Ari announced, but reluctantly followed Alexis anyway.

The two women retraced their steps back to the Sidewalk Café and started looking there. They searched for about an hour and a half, but could not find Tyler Collins anywhere. It wasn't until they started asking female clean-up volunteers did they start to get results and pace of the search quickened.

Alexis knew Tyler was in for it when she recognized the yellow black-striped Camaro on the top of the hill. He was following a teenage girl with long brown hair and the figure of a model. As Alexis suspected, Tyler was rapidly firing off questions, trying to get the girl's attention. The grimy teen from earlier looked rather annoyed, and Alexis assumed that he was the girl's boyfriend.

Ari saved them all. "Come on loser," she snapped, yanking on Tyler's collar and forcefully dragging him away from the pair of teens.

"Um, okay you call then. See you around!" Tyler called out as he was unceremoniously dragged.

_He will be waiting a long time. At least he has Ari for company._ Alexis thought sadly as she watched the two of them. She suspected that she would end up as the lone wolf on the squadron, kind of like Tom in a way. She was never good with relationships.

A breeze caused her to shiver and look up. It was one of those rare times when the clouds covered the sun. She sensed that something major was about to happen.

As if on cue her cell phone began trilling in her pocket. Frowning she pulled it out of her pocket.

The caller ID read: GENERAL STANTON.

Worried now, she flipped the phone open and pressed it to her mouth and ear. "Hello? Preston here," she said in a neutral tone.


	4. Call To Duty

Chapter Four

Call To Duty

Alexis watched in amusement as Ari's face scrunched up in extreme disapproval as she listened to the general on Alexis's phone. In accordance with the general's request, Alexis had given the phone to Ari when they were done talking. Tyler was staring off into space, his shirt collar still in Ari's grip. If Ari's red face was anything to go by, there was going to be a severe, figurative thunderstorm later on… once Alexis had her phone safely tucked away in her pocket so it would not be damaged in the tirade.

Once again Toni Stanton 'defeated' Simmons and successfully found nine pilots to replace the deceased ones with two days to spare until her deadline. Alexis knew what was going to happen after everyone responded to the recall; Tom would arrive, the training drills would return, the pilots would be worked into the general's latest scheme, and then the base would be turned upside-down when Charlie decided to re-surface again.

In other words, life would go back to the same old routine.

Ari sighed as she hung up. "All the rookies are guys. The nearest one was in Santa Fe and he'll be here in two days, 'here' as in the base. Show-off opted to fly in on his personal jet," she grumbled, tossing the cell phone back to Alexis. "Wait here. I'm getting a soda for my headache," she said, walking away while releasing Tyler.

Alexis looked towards the cloudy sky. The last time the sun had been covered it was because of smoke from the fires in the city. Ever since then, she hated it when the sun was covered and would sometimes react negatively towards it. She had gone to Tom for several therapeutic sessions after being released from the hospital, and he determined that she, as well as the other survivors, was suffering from post-traumatic stress, or PST as he called it. Ari, she had heard, had a mild case of survivor's guilt and claustrophobia. Ari had been careful to hide that for a week and a half, but Alexis worried that Ari would crack and then things would become very nasty very quickly.

At least her new wing-mate would not be as much of a jerk as the last one… she hoped.

"Come on dreamer! We don't want to keep the good general waiting!"

She jerked back to reality and then easily caught up with Ari and Tyler as they started to walk away. "At least we can claim seniority over them," she said, sliding into the Camry that was parked nearby after Ari. She easily claimed the passenger seat for herself. "Even you Tyler."

"That sounds nice." Tyler said, smiling. "I'm not at the bottom of the food chain anymore."

"You're not at _rock_ bottom anymore." Ari corrected, flooring the accelerator and nearly collided with the black-striped Camaro. "Good Lord, these city people are appalling drivers," she growled.

"_You _are an appalling driver." Alexis pointed out.

"What can I say? I'm a pilot, not a driver." Ari whined, jerking everyone as she bumped into the black truck from earlier as she attempted reversing to get out of the Camaro's way. "Took me twenty-nine times to get that damned license," she growled, accelerating forward again, this time clipping the Camaro's front bumper. "Oops, hope he's got insurance," she muttered as she pushed on the gas harder. Alexis held on for dear life as the Camry practically tore out of there, leaving tire marks, baffled drivers and burned rubber in its wake.

Nobody spoke until they were well past the city outskirts. Alexis only panicked slightly and said something when she saw that the speedometer was slowly but steadily climbing. "Ari? _Ari_! SLOW DOWN!"

The Camry shuddered to a halt on the side of the lonely stretch of highway. Alexis gently pried her friend's fingers off of the steering wheel and laid her friend's head on her shoulder. Ari shuddered several times before speaking, and Alexis was surprised to see Ari's eyes shining.

"You realize what is gonna happen now right? The general is going… to make us go back up in those _deathtraps_… and, and fly when those… _freaks_ come back… but I don't want to!" she sputtered, sniffling between words. "It's _terrifying _in those little enclosed spaces when you're going down in a death spiral… and there isn't a… anything you can do to stop it all…" Her words were lost as she buried her head in Alexis's shoulder.

"We can talk about it to Tom at the base okay? Maybe you can talk to the general about it too." Alexis said, wondering how Ari could remember that so vividly; she herself had worked to forget it to make moving on easier. She wished now that she had been paying attention when Tom was lecturing about psychological disorders a few years ago when she was just starting out.

"I don't know if he can help." Ari sniffed. "I told him I was fine just to get out of the therapy sessions after the first two. I don't want him to know…"

"You need help, and I can't do that for you." Alexis murmured. "Only Tom can. We don't have to let Tyler know, if you want."

Ari smiled through her tears. "That would be good. Tyler can be such a lovable bundle of joy, just not when he's a pain in the rear. Don't tell him I said that though. He needs a healthy fear of me," she said, sitting up again and wiping her face with a tissue from the box in the backseat.

"Here, let me drive. You can rest." Alexis said, getting out of the car and easing her friend into the passenger seat. After shutting the car door, she went around the front to the driver's side and got in. She buckled up and waited for Ari to do the same. The keys were still in the ignition and Alexis started the engine when Ari was ready and began to drive away.

"A… Alexis?"

"Don't worry Ari. We'll see Tom first thing when we arrive."

"No, not that. Alexis…" cough, cough "Alexis, we forgot Tyler."

Alexis suddenly became aware of the silent backseat, cursed in a way that would shock her mother, and executed a neat U-turn after checking both ways. She found Tyler waiting by the side of the road right where they had left him. Apparently Ari's erratic driving earlier had made him feel rather ill. The second the car stopped he had stumbled out and leaned over the guardrail so his stomach could react in peace. He had been caught off guard at the sudden departure, and was prepared to start accusing Ari of the crime until he saw her face and exactly who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Not a word." Alexis warned, and he nodded obediently. He settled for watching the endless desert and the occasional cactus go by outside the car window.

When the call for reinforcements at Mission City had first come in over the shortwave, Stanton had responded first because it was their duty _and_ they happened to be at the closest air base to the city, despite a small fact. The base, which also happened to be their destination, was one of the most restricted places in the entire United States of America. It was the military version of Sector Seven in its own right.

Area 51.

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A/N: I do know that sodas do not help with headaches. I also apologize for any errors in this chapter, but I am admittedly not an expert on psychological disorders/conditions. Also, two chapters in one weekend is unusual for me... so it may not happen next time.


	5. The New Guy

Chapter Five

The New Guy

After the events of 9/11, security everywhere in the United States clamped down, requiring people to show some kind of valid ID or proof of American citizenship. General Stanton had had _everyone's_ backgrounds checked countless times and Area 51 became a virtual prison for the staff, military personnel, and even the janitors in the meantime. As far as Alexis knew, those procedures were still in place. She feared that it would be like that again, only stricter since the security breach had been in the military this time.

But to her surprise, there were no new additions to the usual security procedures at the entrance. They finally entered after the usual hassle at the entrance gate, and Alexis parked the car in the underground parking garage. The moment they got out however, a uniformed ensign appeared and announced that the general wanted to see them all… immediately.

So that is how the three of them wound up in Stanton's office. It was more of a typical waiting room than an office, which caused people to think that the general had had some ulterior motive in mind when she selected this room. The popular story was that the home-like feeling of the room loosened the tongues of the general's intended victims so she could easily weasel out whatever information she desired from them without too much fuss.

Alexis was _pretty_ sure that wasn't the real reason.

The general stood before them now, studying the three of them critically. Alexis could see the faint dark circles that had appeared underneath the woman's eyes, and she was leaning on her desk slightly, supported by only one hand. Alexis knew better than to assume that the general was in a passive mood; one wrong prod and she could easily and quickly become one's worst nightmare. Alexis once witnessed that happen in the Pentagon during a meeting. Stanton had been calmly accepting questions about her new plan when the detested Simmons had made a snide comment about the general's mixed heritage and intelligence. Needless to say, it didn't end well.

"Thomas will be here tomorrow morning. I asked that he get that leg of his fixed before training the newcomers to 401st standards. In the meantime Arianna, I am going to recommend that you get some rest. Tyler, your barracks is still under repair from that little, ah, raccoon problem we had, so I suggest that you move into the mess hall for now." Stanton said calmly, breaking the silence. "Dismissed." Alexis stood up and began to leave with her friends.

"Preston!" The general's voice cracked like a whip. "I did not dismiss you," she explained in a much calmer voice as Alexis quickly and quietly slid back into her seat.

"I am sorry ma'am." Alexis mumbled and resumed her ramrod posture in her seat.

"When I was looking for pilots to help bring the 401st back to optimal standards, I kept in mind a few issues that had come up between you and Stanley, your old wing-mate." Stanton said, straightening and slipping back into the role of commander.

"Thank you ma'am." Alexis replied, wondering how on earth Stanton ever figured that out. She and Stan had been careful to keep their arguments low-key and therefore keep the general unaware of the fights. But this proved the rumor that Stanton had eyes and ears everywhere.

"So I found a potential pilot in Santa Fe who just might fit the bill." Stanton said, breaking into her thoughts. Alexis watched as Stanton pressed a button on her desk and said, "Commander Randall, bring him in."

Alexis heard the door open behind her, but she remained facing forward as protocol dictated. "This is all a test run of course," the general continued, sitting down behind the desk. "Three strikes and you're out. That will probably apply only to Stryker though, since you have been with us for about six years already."

Alexis immediately became aware of the man standing next to her. A quick side-glance revealed that he was almost impossibly tall, well built, and had tidied blond hair.

"Stryker, this is Alexis Preston." Stanton introduced, and Alexis stood when her name was mentioned. "Preston, this is Stryker Davis. He will be filling in as your flight partner for now."

Stryker was even more intimidating when they were standing face-to-face. He stood at least a head taller than she did, although she had been somewhat short to begin with. "It is a pleasure," she said in a neutral tone, extending a hand while carefully gauging his reaction. His almost-black eyes betrayed no emotion, and his facial features held no clues either.

He hesitated, and then accepted her hand, no doubt mindful of the general's gaze. "Yes… it is," he stated quietly, almost too quiet for Alexis to hear.

Satisfied, the general continued after waiting for both pilots to face her. "The training will begin in three days at 1200 hours. I expect the two of you to at least get along until then. Let me know immediately if there are any problems. Understand?" she instructed, narrowing her eyes when they didn't immediately respond.

"Yes ma'am," they both said, although Alexis could have sworn that Stryker dropped the 'ma'am' part on purpose.

Stanton heaved a sigh, a small mission accomplished. Both Alexis and Stryker moved into a salute, although Stryker did not perform his as sharply as Alexis did.

"Dismissed." Stanton said, and they left as she sat back down in her chair, visibly exhausted.

Out in the hall, Alexis watched Stryker leave, and then she walked to catch up with him. She remained quiet as she walked beside him. The long, steel-gray hall stretched before them, promising them both enough time for conversation. She decided to break the silence first, and asked, "So, um, where are you from? In the States I mean."

"California," he replied briskly, allowing no room for further discussion. So she tried another tactic.

"Don't let Tom intimidate you. He may appear threatening, but he usually means well," she said, watching his reaction again.

Stryker just grunted.

"He usually has a reason for doing something," she tried again, but could see that he was ignoring her at this point. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, she became quiet again.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes. He kept shooting glances at her, until she finally asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Why are you following me?" he asked suspiciously.

"This is the main corridor, and I do want to eat in the mess hall, which just so happens to be this way," she said, gesturing in the direction of the mess hall.

"Females are always pointing out the obvious," he muttered after a moment of silence. He then turned around and headed back in the direction they had just come from.

Alexis watched him leave, feeling irritated. Normally, she would follow him and demand to know what the hell his problem was, but a gut feeling told her that she should leave him alone for now. Stryker may have the advantage of height and intimidation on his side, but _she_ had the advantage of experience on her side. If it's war he wanted, it's war he was going to get. She was not going to put up with him and his attitude.

She turned on her heel and continued walking to the mess hall. Tyler had to be down there somewhere. Alexis needed him, since she knew what he liked the most about having newcomers around the base.

He liked their gullibility.

----------------

A/N: So I was planning ahead when I realized that there would be no time for updates over this weekend between homework and other commitments that came up during the week, and decided to update this chapter since it was done and waiting. I'm hoping to get back on the 'weekend-update plan' when Winter Break comes. So, until next time!


	6. Technical Analysis

Chapter Six

Technical Analysis

"So, what's he like?"

Alexis groaned as she sat down. "Temperamental. He could give Tom a run for his money," she said, taking Ari's Coke and taking a gulp from the can. Laying her head in her hand, she continued, saying, "It's nothing I can't handle. Where's Tyler?"

Ari froze and peered at her suspiciously. "Why?" she asked, drawing the word out.

"Because I want to make a deal with him." Alexis said conversationally.

"He's busy taunting the new guys." Ari said, shaking the can to see if there was anything left, and then took a drink. "By the way, we're screwed. I spoke to two of the rookies twenty minutes ago. Lewis is scared of extreme heights and Marty gets sick and faints at the sight of blood. If that's what I get from two of them, who knows what the others are like?" She paused in her rant, and then asked, "How on earth did they get this far in the military?"

"I don't know, but they are in for a real disappointment." Alexis murmured, scanning the crowd for Tyler. "Where _is_ Tyler?"

Suddenly Ari choked on her soda, and, trying to contain her laughter, pointed to a spot off to the right of the direction Alexis was looking in. Alexis turned her head slightly to see that Stryker had come into the mess hall at some point, and was now gripping Tyler by the ear with his thumb and index finger while attempting to lift him off the ground. Tyler was now pleading for mercy.

"Well, at least Stryker is an experienced pilot who has zero tolerance for stupidity." Alexis remarked, taking back the Coke and finishing it off, much to Ari's dismay. She pushed the empty can back to Ari and continued watching Stryker. He released Tyler only after uttering a warning, and then stalked among the other personnel as Tyler scampered off.

"Healthy, _not_ a ladies' man, at least six feet, arguable, and a definite reason to watch your back." Ari commented, observing him. "You can tell a lot about a person by the way they walk."

"He's also blatantly disrespectful. Didn't really salute the general earlier." Alexis added.

Ari stretched in her seat. "From the way you sounded when I first asked you 'what's he like', he is definitely solo, not a team player," she said. "Now I see why you need Tyler." She leaned forward, and, much to Alexis's horror, called out, "Hey Stryker!"

Alexis was smart enough this time to avoid eye contact with him as he grudgingly came forward. She offered a sweet smile.

"What?" he snarled.

Ignoring his hostility, Ari asked, "Where exactly in California are you from?"

"Tranquility," he said. Alexis saw his jaw beginning to twitch.

"Are you from the Lower East Side or the North Side?"

He scowled and snapped, "Why?"

"Because. I'm from Tranquility too, the Lower East Side. You know, the Rose City. Heart of Red Sox Nation." Ari leaned forward again and whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "The City That Never Sleeps."

"The one and only," he snapped before walking away again. Ari sighed as Tyler slid into the empty seat beside her.

"Talk about needing an attitude adjustment," she muttered as Alexis rolled her eyes. "I know I know. You warned me and I didn't listen, yeah I get it."

"I didn't know you were from Tranquility." Alexis finally remarked.

"I'm not. I'm from Boston Massachusetts, which is also the _real_ Heart of Red Sox Nation. I didn't even know a place called Tranquility existed until today. It's New York City that has the Lower East Side and is called 'The City That Never Sleeps', and Los Angeles is the _real_ Rose City. Anybody should know that." Ari said, picking at the food on her plastic tray. "Man, this stuff is more worse than high school cafeteria food."

"Rosie, the chef, hasn't gotten back from Milwaukee yet." Alexis said. "It's Barney making the food for now."

Ari blanched, and then slowly pushed her tray away from her. "You probably wouldn't care if Stryker died of food poisoning," she said, scowling at the offending sandwich on the plate before her.

"_I_ definitely wouldn't." Tyler grumbled, rubbing his sore ear.

"Only Barney could accomplish something like that, killing a pilot with food poisoning." Ari grumbled.

An idea occurred to Alexis. "Hey Tyler," she asked. Tyler grunted to show she had his attention. "Can you help me with something?"

"Yeah, I'm capable of it."

"It involves Stryker."

"Nice."

"You'll have to keep it hidden from Stanton."

Tyler stared at her. "You can't hide _anything_ from Stanton. She'll whip us into submission if Stryker doesn't do it first, when we get caught," he whined, covering his face with his sweatshirt.

"Makes it more dangerous and more of an adrenaline rush." Alexis promised.

The two of them stared at each other for a few minutes until Tyler slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll do it," he relented. "What do you want?"

"Whatever it is, count me in." Ari said, busy dissecting her sandwich. Alexis guessed she was looking for that one edible ingredient in the sandwich.

"Okay, here's the plan." Alexis said, gesturing for them to huddle. "It's going to be risky."


	7. Gut Feelings

Chapter Seven

Gut Feelings

"When I was a young girl, my mother always instructed me to trust my instincts. My gut instinct now says that Simmons was behind it. Why else would Sector Seven be publicly disbanded after Mission City when it had nothing to do with terrorists?" Stanton asked, pacing calmly. When nobody immediately responded, she snapped, "_Well?"_

"Aliens." Riley coughed out, earning a look from Stryker, who was the only 'new' pilot in the small group in the general's tactical room.

"Maybe your gut is out of whack since Oroville." Tom suggested, and pointedly ignored the general's glare. "Anyway, where's the beer? We should be celebrating the end of Sector Seven, not questioning it," he asked, meeting the general's gaze.

"Hear hear." Jackson said, raising an imaginary toast. He straightened up only when Stanton glared at him. "Sorry ma'am."

"Keller told me that I would need a justifiable excuse for targeting an American city next time. Proof he can actually hold. So I need to get _that_ somewhere." Stanton muttered to herself as she pulled out a small black box from the travel bag on the small table nearby. "Now, I'm sure you are all familiar with the base attack in Qatar that occurred a few days prior to Mission City, correct?" she asked.

As everyone voiced an affirmative, Alexis noted with slight interest that Stryker was now looking interested in the general's words… the first time since his arrival in fact. He inched forward a bit and a focused look seemed to make itself present as he stood slightly in front of Riley and Andrew. His head was slightly bowed as if to catch the general's words better.

Things remained tense between them. Tyler, panicking at the thought of Stryker's vengeance, confessed the prank to Stryker within hours of its conception. Both Ari and Alexis were then easily manipulated into springing their own trap. Since then Tyler had been constantly avoiding them, especially since Ari said that all she wanted to do at that moment was strangle him to death.

Now the original seven pilots plus Stryker were in the general's personal tactical room (more commonly known as the plotting room among the Area 51 personnel), mainly because the general wanted to show them a few items she had 'borrowed' from Keller. Alexis knew this stage of the hunt extremely well; the probing stage. Stanton would use items and recordings to probe her audience for any information that could be useful to giving her a lead.

"I think it was transforming aliens." Riley announced. "You know, they could transform into cars and planes and then slip among us. Then they wouldn't be noticeable in the confusion of battle. Captain Thompson did say that the 51st was supposed to back us up, and an unmarked jet or two did join us before they started shooting at us."

Marcia, always the quiet one, spoke up. "An inside job makes more sense. You know, paybacks for Oroville," she said, squirming when she noticed Stryker's intense gaze upon her.

"I don't know. You tell me." Stanton said, pulling a flashdrive from the box and slipping it into the computer and activating the file. It occurred to her just then whether to warn the others to cover their ears or not, but she decided not to.

Everyone except Stryker and Stanton recoiled slightly from the screechy grating-like sound that cut across the room. "Ugh… _turn that off!_" Ari yelled, covering her ears.

The loud screeching stopped, but then Ari demanded loudly, "What the _hell_ was that?"

Stanton grimaced as she took out the flashdrive from the computer and said, "Something that Keller thought was very important. He encoded _all_ of the attached information. When they come, the analysts will be working to break all the codes." She noticed Tom's questioning gaze and said, "They were not ready to leave D.C. when I was, so Keller is sending them over when they are ready to go."

"Has anybody considered that these terrorists could be international and that these are their secret codes?" Andrew ventured.

"Nobody claimed responsibility for this. There was no evidence to suggest that possibility, but we won't rule that out." Stanton assured him.

"_Aliens."_ Riley coughed out, only louder this time.

Stryker of all people stepped forward and said, "I do not believe that Riley's 'aliens' exist."

"Hey! You weren't even there! How could you be so sure of that?" Riley snapped, but immediately backed off when Stryker glared at him.

"However, I do believe that Simmons, along with the hu- I mean, _person_ named Samuel James Witwicky were involved with the ah, _terrorist attacks_ at Mission City." Stryker said, and then stepped back into the line of pilots, effectively ending his part in the discussion.

Alexis knew there was no need to continue; Stanton generally needed just names and/or a motive and then she was off, constructing a scenario that ended with the crime, the terrorist attack in this case.

"There is something still missing." Stanton murmured. "I feel it."

"Yeah. The aliens called 'Autobots'. I heard Banachek and Simmons saying…" Riley began, rather dedicated to his alien theory.

"_There are no aliens!_" Stryker snarled, interrupting Riley. "Get it through your thick skull already!"

"_You weren't there!"_ Riley shouted back, getting angry now. He swung a punch directly at Stryker's face, but Stryker easily dodged it. A circle around the combatants formed as everyone moved to get out of striking range. Stanton moved in, shouting at the two of them in an attempt to break it up. Tom left the room altogether, presumably to get a stick of some sort to split the fighters apart. Jackson just lunged into the fight in order to pull Riley out.

That was then that Alexis saw Stryker sneaking out of the tactical room, using the confusion as a cover to escape further grilling. She then noticed that there wasn't even a faint scratch on Stryker, whereas Riley was poorly handling a broken nose that was bleeding profusely. The goal however had been achieved, and the topic on aliens or Autobots or whatever the heck they were called was promptly forgotten.

"Thomas!"

They all turned to see that Stanton was standing by the computer searching frantically for something. "Where is the flashdrive?" she demanded. "Where is Thomas?"

"Tom ibn't bere." Riley managed to say around his broken nose.

Stanton stared at him and then snarled, "No, really? I'm too blind to tell on my own! _Where is he?"_

Riley shrugged.

Growling, the general stowed the black box back into the travel bag, picked up the bag, and then stormed out of the tactical room.

"Whoa." Jackson said, and then it became quiet in the room for a few seconds. Slowly but surely the other pilots began filing out of the room. Alexis waited a moment and then left and went in the direction of the hangars.

She had a suspicion about the perpetrator behind the theft.


	8. Almost Uncovered

Chapter Eight

Almost Uncovered

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Alexis entered one of the five major hangars at Area 51, feeling a sense of trepidation as she walked forward. Every step echoed; there was only one F-22 Raptor jet in here at the moment, and it was Riley's. She knew it was his because all the newcomers minus one were in another hangar; Stryker was the privileged one to have his jet with the original 401st survivors.

She ran a hand over the American flag icon that was glued underneath the jet's wing. Riley had put it there on the past Fourth of July as a patriotic decoration… without the superiors knowing. Riley was also fortunate enough to be the only pilot to escape from being shot down during combat. She herself had been harassing the enemy jet when something had hit her from behind. After that, well, she just remembered waking up all disoriented in a hospital bed.

Now apparently the general was having technicians closely analyze the wrecks, hoping to be better armed and prepared in case those 'crazy fliers' came back. Alexis had yet to figure out how Riley managed to get his jet away from the general's prying fingers. She could use his advice.

Wait a moment…

Alexis came out from under Riley's jet and realized that Stryker wasn't here either… and at the moment, nobody was permitted to leave the base for no reason. Stanton was going to be very angry when she found out.

So where was he?

She wished briefly she had her shortwave. Then she could contact Stryker and demand answers from that stuck-up…

Wait a moment.

Alexis cast her eyes up to Riley's cockpit. She knew he would have a fit if he knew what she was about to do. But Alexis knew there was a chance he could pardon her if she stretched the truth a bit and said that she suspected Stryker had stolen the general's flashdrive. Then Stryker would get into trouble, and everyone but him would go home happy.

Wishing she was a bit taller, Alexis climbed onto a nearby crate that was big enough to make the top of her head level with the wing of Riley's F-22. Normally, two other people would hoist her up with their hands interlocked as an impromptu step, but she was alone this time. She placed both her hands on the flat surface of the jet's wing and pulled herself up. She winced when she saw the condition of the wing; there were long black burn marks marring the dulled silver surface. She guessed the marks came from either the enemy fire that had hit him or from the burning debris that had been falling from the buildings. Alexis really didn't know and suspected that Riley didn't either. It had been chaos from the moment of departure from the base to her crash in Mission City. Even now as she tried to think back on it, all she could remember was blurry, colorful images and then waking up in the hospital two days later.

She knelt by the cockpit hatch and felt the surrounding metal until she found the catch and popped open the small panel. Alexis recognized the special locking system that held the hatch in place. It could be opened by a four-digit password, for the panel had initially been installed so that the other pilots could easily access the instruments or Riley's private stash of small snacks. Riley himself was more or less aware of its existence.

Alexis punched in the correct combination and glass door lifted with a barely audible _hiss_. Satisfied, she pushed the cover back and slid into the cockpit. With another four-digit combination, she turned on only the basic functions short of the engine system.

The radio crackled to life, and a steady stream of jazz came forth. Alexis had a pretty good idea what Riley had been up to when Stanton had called them all down to the tactical room.

She carefully adjusted his radio to the private and secure squadron frequency. The link was understandably quiet; call signs were yet to be assigned to the new pilots, and everything was still in disorder after Mission City. She pressed the appropriate button and called out tentatively, "Stryker?"

Silence.

Sighing, she began the tedious chore of going through the separate frequencies and personally contacted each individual pilot. If someone answered, she asked the person if they had seen Stryker. The answer was always 'no'. She got six channels of static, and knew that those were the channels of the still-wrecked planes.

She finally got to Stryker's channel. "Well," she muttered, "I guess there is nothing to lose." She pressed the appropriate button on Riley's console.

To her shock, a deep male voice flooded the cockpit. **"…**_**I am sick and tired of playing this charade. When can we move out?"**_ it snarled, and Alexis could hear the frustration in its tone.

"_**It will only be for a little longer. I just need to figure out the leader of their military, and then we will strike. We just need to be careful now**__,"_ another male voice replied. Its slightly rasping tone tickled the edges of Alexis's memory, but she wasn't sure where she heard it before. Actually, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this a plot to kill the President? What the hell were these guys planning to do? Who were they? What if… She paused in her thoughts. What if these two were responsible for the terrorist attacks and Mission City was just the first step? Andrew did bring up the possibility of an international group like those responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

"_**You little slagger**_," the deep voice suddenly growled, causing her to jump slightly. **"**_**Get off the link so we can speak in peace and privacy."**_

Alexis flinched at the prospect of getting caught but dared not say anything.

After a few moments of silence, there was a loud chattering sound over the radio that reminded Alexis of irritated monkeys. She bit her lip and shrank back slightly.

"_**What do you mean, 'it's not me'**__?"_ the rasping voice demanded, obviously irritated at the chattering voice.

"_**Check **_**your**_** link**_**,"** the deep male voice said slowly. Alexis knew if she could see the speaker, he would be narrowing his eyes in suspicion and anger.

There was a momentary silence, and then the rasping voice snarled, _**"Mackerson, I will personally remove your limbs when…"**_

"_**You could kill him. He's already heard too much,"**_ the deep voice suggested.

"_What_?" Alexis snapped, temporarily forgetting that the link worked both ways. She gasped as soon as she remembered. "Damn!" she swore, not caring anymore who heard her.

"_**Wait, I think I know who this is…"**_ the raspy voice said, turning cold.

Moaning, Alexis abruptly cut the link. She scrambled out of the cockpit and slammed the hatch into place. The basic systems on the jet were connected to a failsafe and would automatically shut off on their own after a certain amount of time.

She leaped off the wing and went straight to the ground, twisting her ankle upon impact. Working hard to ignore the pain, she got up back onto her feet and tried not to despair as she looked around for something to use as impromptu crutches. Finding nothing, she set out anyway, using the wall as a support. She was determined to get the information to the general as soon as possible.

"Preston!"

She yelped in surprise and nearly fell back to the ground. Turning around, she saw Tom walking over, a slight limp in his gait. "What's wrong?" he demanded when he was closer to her.

"I need to see the general… _right now_!" she snapped. When he didn't immediately respond, she said, "It's about the President and Mission City." '_Please hurry… I think there's someone coming to get me for catching that and I don't know when he'll get here',_ she mentally added.

It was then Alexis realized; how did the conspirator know Riley Mackerson?

"What happened?" Tom demanded.

"Nothing yet!" she said, urgency creeping into her voice. "I need to see the general _now_ and I can't walk!"

Tom could tell from her silence that she wasn't going to eagerly supply details without the general around. He sighed and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder and pulled her up so she was no longer using the wall for support. Acting as her human crutch, he aided her along the long metallic corridors all the way to the general's office.

--------------------

A/N: Are the chapter lengths okay for you?


	9. Confrontation

Chapter Nine

Confrontation

Toni Stanton stared at Alexis Preston. Never in Stanton's thirty-five years serving in the Air Force had she ever encountered this sort of problem. Before 9/11 and Mission City, Preston's warning would have gone through an intensive political process before the actual investigation. Now, well, Stanton was tempted to dismiss it as paranoia, but she didn't for two reasons. One, the warning had to do with a possible assassination and a second terrorist attack.

The second reason was that she was having a case of déjà vu. Back in March of 2001, she had been in the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building for a meeting when two civilians came in and claimed that somebody was planning to steal the Declaration of Independence. The FBI had dismissed the two men, saying that the document was well protected and that they had insufficient evidence to back up their claim. The eerie thing was that the document was indeed stolen from the National Archives a few days later during the Archives' 70th Anniversary gala. It took the FBI at least a week to chase all the perpetrators down and reclaim the treasured document.

"As a side note, Stryker left the base when he wasn't authorized to." Alexis finished, carefully watching the general's face for any indication of her thoughts. Stanton however didn't visibly react to the breaking news. Instead, she leaned forward and called up the base surveillance camera screens on her computer.

"There is one problem with your story Preston. As far as security is concerned, no communications were made inside the base to or from an outside source. There were no inside-base communications either. As for Stryker, well, he was briefed on exiting and entering procedures, and we would have definitely known if he attempted an unauthorized exit." Stanton said, smiling in an apologetic manner. "Do you have any evidence that either story actually happened?"

"No!" Alexis growled while feeling frustrated that the general didn't completely believe her. She was also furious at herself for forgetting evidence to back up her 'wild' claims. She was about to continue when there was a soft knock upon the door.

"Come in." Stanton said, looking up

Alexis turned and narrowed her eyes as Stryker walked in, followed by Commander Randall. Stryker ignored her as he moved to stand in front of the general's desk.

"You wished to see me?" Stryker asked in a polite voice that seemed false to Alexis.

"Yes I did. Stryker, what were you doing before I summoned you?" Stanton asked, leaning forward slightly with her elbows on her desk.

"First I was in your tactical room, and then I was working on my F-22 when Commander Randall arrived and brought me here, ma'am." Stryker said in a monotone voice. He tilted his head and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, you weren't in the hangar when I was in there." Alexis cut in, seeing the error in Stryker's story. "So where were you _really?_"

"He was working on his jet when I got there ten minutes ago." Randall helpfully supplied.

"What? General, you can't honestly believe h…" Alexis began, beginning to feel more frustrated. She was extremely tempted to thoroughly interrogate Stryker right here and now, to make him confess to leaving Area 51 when he wasn't supposed to.

"I'm sorry Preston, but your stories weren't running on solid evidence either." Stanton interrupted, eyes flashing. "At least Stryker has a witness to verify his story."

"I hate you _both_." Alexis hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at the two men in the general's office. To her fury, Stryker only offered a discreet smirk in response.

"Now now Alexis." Stanton gently chided, as though she was scolding a young child rather than an adult. Alexis most certainly felt like a child. Stanton sighed before continuing, "Randall is just following orders. As for your, ah, warning, well, we will have to look into it further, if it will make you happy for now. In the meantime, both of you are dismissed. Stryker, please take her to the medical wing. Training begins in the gymnasium tomorrow at 1200 hours."

Alexis and Stryker promptly saluted and left the office, Stryker gripping her arm in a death grip to support her. Alexis felt cheated by the outcome of the meeting. She had been hoping that the general would have a more energetic reaction than what Alexis got.

"Stryker," she snapped finally.

He wasn't in a better mood than her. "What?"

"Loosen up. You're cutting off the circulation in my arm," she complained. Alexis decided not to tell him what would happen if he ended up cutting off the blood supply in her arm… just in case he got any ideas from that information.

His grip lessened a fraction. "Happy?" he asked, bad-tempered as usual.

"I'm never happy." Alexis retorted, feeling once again like a child caught in a petty argument. "You may have everyone else fooled, but I know you were up to something."

His dark eyes narrowed and he stiffened momentarily. "I don't know what you are talking about," he denied.

'_Rule 1 around here: never feign ignorance'_ Alexis thought grimly. "We both know you left the base and were probably up to no good," she said aloud, and mentally cursed Stryker when the tight pressure returned on her arm. "What part of 'loosen up' do you not understand?"

"All of it," came the smart response. Then he asked, "What warning was the general talking about?"

"Some plot to kill the President." Alexis answered, and then wondered if it had been a smart idea to tell him. It probably wasn't.

"In situations like that, I suggest you _forget_ about it, since accidents tend to happen very easily around here." Stryker suggested.

Alexis stared at him. "Are you threatening me?" she asked, wondering what reason _he_ had to get all worked up over the communications. Unless…

"If that is how you want to perceive it, be my guest." Stryker said and continued walking along, half-dragging her along.

Summoning energy she didn't even know she had, Alexis yanked her arm out of Stryker's grip and leaned on the wall for support. To her irritation, Stryker kept walking. She shouted, "Stryker, I _know_ you left the base! I wouldn't be surprised if it was _you _on the radio with some little pal of yours. When I get that evidence, Stanton is going to drill you out of the military so fast your head is going to spin and…"

"For Primus's sake _do_ _you ever shut up?"_ Stryker interrupted, stopping in his tracks and turning to face her. "Please! My head is beginning to hurt from listening to your _constant_ yakking…"

Alexis remembered that Riley had thrown a direct punch at Stryker's face and ended up with a broken nose. So _she_ punched at Stryker at an angle, careful to stay away from the center of the face. Stryker easily deflected her and stepped out of the way, therefore allowing her to crash into wall on the opposite side of the corridor. Grunting, she staggered up and, ignoring her throbbing ankle, attempted to body-slam Stryker into the wall. He apparently miscalculated her body weight and didn't move fast enough. They crashed into the wall and fell backwards, Stryker landing on top of her. He propped himself up on his hands and glared at her, and Alexis decided that a broken nose couldn't be worse than the awkward position they were in.

"I win… and I didn't even try." Stryker warned. "If you attempt this again, you will end up with something worse than damaged pride." Alexis felt her face burning with anger and embarrassment as she attempted to get out of this… mess.

"Oh…wow, um, ahem… am I interrupting something?"

Stryker leapt back onto his feet as though Alexis had unexpectedly burned him. "No," he answered icily before walking away, leaving Alexis on the floor.

Alexis groaned when Ari's grinning face appeared in her field of vision. "Wow," she said, restraining a giggle as she helped Alexis to her feet. "We, as in Tyler and I, could hear you guys going at it _all_ the way down the hall. It was fantastic. What'd you do to make him that mad?" she asked as she supported Alexis when Alexis let out a small cry of pain.

"He's just being difficult." Alexis growled, wishing her face would stop burning.

Ari snorted. "Yeah? Well so are you," she said as the pair of them began moving along. "Come on. Let's get you to Doctor Sasquatch."

Alexis didn't comment. She was too focused on figuring out the best way to give Stryker a slow and extremely painful death.

--------------

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! See you all next weekend!


	10. The Invader

Chapter Ten

The Invader

The hot Nevada sun beat down mercilessly onto the five security guards at the gates of Area 51. Two guards were enjoying the cool shade of the small building off to the right of the gate, two others were keeping watch on either side of the gate, and one was crouching nearby, nursing an injury on his hand. He had been tossing scorpions into the road with his friends, bored at the lack of activity. The scorpion he had been holding unexpectedly stung him, and he had thrown it farther than the previous ones in anger and retaliation. It had landed on the hood of some kid's flashy yellow Camaro that just happened to pass by at that moment.

Not that he cared very much.

The crunching of gravel alerted him to the arrival of another visitor. He straightened and watched as a black Chevrolet pulled up to the entrance gate. His fellow guard stepped forward and began to drill the driver for proof of identity, valid driver's license, and signed orders that the driver had permission to be there. He and a third guard checked the exterior and interior of the car for any dangerous hazards.

Finally cleared, the soldiers waved the car through. Then everything became still and boring again.

------------

"I still don't get it."

Ari glared at Tyler. "Have you ever even played 'Capture The Flag' before?" she asked.

"No."

"You had a very deprived childhood. Now scram." Ari ordered. Tyler, always eager to please, obediently jumped down and rejoined the game that was currently in progress on the gymnasium floor.

Training would begin tomorrow. Tom had told them that in order to work like a team, they all had to act like one first. That was how an intense and bloody game of 'Capture the Flag' got started. Alexis couldn't play due to her sprained ankle, and Ari was among the few personnel who opted to sit out and watch. This decision had come around once Ari realized the extent of the violent nature of the game.

"Uh-oh, look at what the cat dragged in." Ari muttered, gesturing to the gymnasium door with her head.

Alexis, still fuming from the fight with Stryker, looked up from the game, expecting to see the haughty pilot walking in, but in reality it was far worse.

"Why the _hell_ is Simmons here?" Alexis hissed through her teeth.

"Don't know, don't care. Quick… look busy." Ari muttered, pulling out a magazine from her back pocket and opening it. Alexis decided not to alert Ari to the fact that the magazine was upside-down.

"Why would you do that?"

Both women jumped when Stryker's voice came from behind them. Alexis immediately stiffened and then stared determinedly ahead at the game. Ari hesitated momentarily, and then informed Stryker, "She's still mad at you."

"I think I'm smart enough to figure that out myself." Stryker growled.

Meanwhile, Simmons had paused by the bleachers on his way into the base since he now faced a dilemma. The last time he had visited General Stanton, she had assigned an escort to him for the entire duration of the visit. This time, there had been nobody waiting for him upon his arrival.

"Hey, hey you," he snapped to the pilots who were lounging on the bleachers nearby. He wondered whatever happened to the good old greeting protocols he had had the last time. To his irritation however, none of the three pilots sitting nearby acknowledged him. He leaned over and tapped the nearest pilot on the shoulder rather aggressively.

Alexis turned her head slightly and scowled. "What?"

"Where is the general's escort?"

"We don't service government wash-outs." Ari replied, keeping a straight face and stared forward.

Alexis rolled her eyes and continued watching the game. She gritted her teeth when Simmons moved and blocked her view of the game. "I am _ordering_ you to take me to Stanton!" he snarled.

"Can't you tell she can't walk? Did they kick you out of the government because you utterly failed the IQ test?" Ari demanded. "Now move before I call Tom over."

Simmons, apparently remembering the crutches, panicked and turned, only to see Tom on the opposite side of the 'field' yelling instructions to different game participants. Reassured that Tom was sufficiently distracted and without crutches, Simmons turned back to face the pilots, who were once again absorbed in the game. He checked his watch, knowing that his advantage of surprise over the general was slowly slipping away the longer he stood there.

Finally, something in his mental state snapped. He reached out and heaved Alexis to her feet by pulling on her wrist with strength he never knew he had. "Take… me… to Stanton… now," he growled, his face right up to hers.

Alexis just stared at him, momentarily frightened and caught unprepared. Then she remembered the pain from her ankle and winced, leaning slightly on the right foot to take weight off of the left foot. Her injuries at Mission City had been worse than this, but the sprained ankle still hurt. She geared herself up for a witty response to Simmons's demand when something made her freeze in place, still caught in Simmons's grip.

_Click._

"Whoa! Hey, uh, Stryker, there really is no need to pull _that_ out," Ari said suddenly, standing up and moving out of the line of fire. When Stryker didn't move the firearm, she gulped and said, "Yeah… I'm going to go get Tom." She jumped off the bleachers and dashed off.

"Put her down." Stryker quietly ordered. "Now."

"Easy buddy. I wasn't going to hurt her." Simmons said, but he didn't let Alexis go. Instead he moved her into the line of fire, so that _she_ was staring down the barrel.

Alexis had been on the receiving end of a gun once, during training in her rookie year. Tom claimed that the rifle was empty, but she hadn't really trusted him very much back then. The experience had been extremely nerve-wracking, and she'd sworn never to experience it again.

Fate wasn't being very kind to her today.

"Stryker, Simmons, _stand down!"_

Alexis nearly cried with relief when Stanton finally showed up, flanked by Tom and Commander Randall. The game was still going on in the background albeit slowly so the players could watch the unfolding drama without being too obvious to the officers. Tom was the only other person other than Stryker who was actively wielding a weapon in the room, a hunting rifle in this case. Alexis knew that Stanton carried a concealed weapon on her person but no one knew exactly where.

Seeing he was outnumbered in lion's den, Simmons shrugged and said, "Here you go. I told you I wouldn't hurt her." He pushed Alexis towards Stryker, who caught her with ease and passed her off to Ari, who was waiting nearby.

"Why are you here?" Stanton demanded.

"Mr. Keller finally located those analysts you wanted and I was assigned to bring them in." Simmons snapped.

"Yes, you were assigned to do that, but not to harass my pilots. Come on." Stanton growled, and stalked away, her mini-entourage and Simmons following.

"Hey Stryker?" Alexis called out as he began to leave. He only paused and tilted his head to acknowledge her. "I… um… thanks," she finally said after a moment's pause.

His hair disguised his expression but she saw him barely nod anyway before he completely left the gymnasium.

"How strange." Ari remarked after a minute of silence.

"It won't last. Just wait and see. Something isn't right about him." Alexis said, confident of her analysis. She then turned and hobbled back to the bleachers to watch the game move back into its previous quick pace.

Good things usually never lasted.

-------------

A/N: I hope everybody had a restful holiday. Also, did anybody catch the National Treasure reference in the last chapter?


	11. Nighttime Alarm

Chapter Eleven

Nighttime Alarm

One state and several hundred miles to the west, Night reigned over the land. Crickets chirped, and the occasional dog barked, but otherwise it was completely quiet. The atmosphere of the town was as tranquil as its name suggested.

A hooded teen was walking down the sidewalk with two of his friends when he spotted the police cruiser that was parked next to the curb. His eyes widened when he saw the familiar white gleaming numbers on the side underneath a familiar inscribed motto. He whimpered and ran off in the other direction, his friends close behind him.

Inside the cruiser, Frenzy glared at the retreating adolescents. They had made his day rather miserable. _He_ was still fixing himself in the front seat while Barricade nursed his wounded pride while in recharge. Today had been a bad day for them both.

Their bad day had started early in the morning. It was hot out, apparently unusual for the region at this time of year. Barricade had parked in what the humans called a 'parking lot', and was in the middle of his recharge cycle while Frenzy dozed in the backseat, disguised as a silver boombox. He would have been in the front seat if the leather seats hadn't been so hot due to being in direct sunlight. His sensors had then picked up the rapid approach of three human adolescents. Before he could alert Barricade, the humans swiftly got into the car while one of them popped the hood and gimmicked the engine so that it automatically started when the 'driver' pressed the ignition with his finger and a paperclip. Then the human who had fiddled with the engine crammed himself into the front with his two other buddies, starting an activity the humans called 'joy-riding'. Frenzy was thrown unceremoniously around in the backseat, losing bits and pieces as he crashed into the car doors, the rear window, and the floor. He wasn't sure as to when exactly Barricade woke up and took over, but it took a few U-turns and sharp corners to get rid of all three.

They both agreed never to speak of it to Starscream.

As if on cue, Barricade's link began beeping.

Frenzy chattered unintelligibly as he placed a chunk of his arm down. He jabbed at the appropriate buttons on the dashboard, causing Barricade to visibly wince.

"_**Barricade?"**_

" Barricade no wants to talk. Barricade in recharge. Frenzy will talk."

"_**Wake up Barricade. I have located the human military leader."**_

Frenzy clicked in frustration, stood up, and dove into the backseat, crashing into a few old styrofoam coffee cups in the process. After pacing restlessly for a few moments, well aware that Starscream had a limited amount of time, Frenzy screeched "BARRICADE" in a high, electronic scream. He was momentarily distracted as he watched shattered glass fall from a 'window' on the human dwelling that Barricade was parked in front of.

"What?" Barricade growled, working to ignore the ache in his processor. "Are those humans back?"

"_**What humans?"**_

Barricade winced. "Nothing sir. What is the news?'

"_**I have located the human leader. He is going to be in Mission City in a few Earth days.**_" A momentary silence, and then, "_**We can strike then**_."

"What about those Autobots?" Barricade snarled, thinking of what the pesky yellow scout had done to him the _last_ time they had fought one-on-one. Maybe he, Barricade, should really consider on repaying the favor…

"_**We shouldn't worry. If they become a problem, there is a human male and female at my current location that we can use as a distraction for the Autobots if necessary."**_

"What about the human that was listening in?"

Silence, and then Starscream said, _**"That human is high in favor with her superiors. I can't get to her… yet."**_

Barricade wondered for the twentieth time that day as to Starscream's exact location. He had gotten into contact with Barricade only a few Earth days ago, saying that he had a plan for revenge against the humans and the Autobots. The only problem was that they had to find the human leader first. However, the jet stubbornly refused to disclose his location mostly because of his apparent paranoia about possible threats to his leadership from Autobots, any Decepticons, or any vengeful humans.

"I will meet you in Mission City. Barricade out." Barricade said, and then signed off. He waited until Frenzy was sufficiently strapped in before activating the sirens. He pulled away from the curb, tires squealing out loud in the process.

Then it all was quiet again, broken only by cricket chirping.

---------

Back in the Nevada desert and deep underground, a high-pitched siren cut through the dream-like world Alexis was currently in. She jerked awake to find a white light flashing in the darkness of their room. She abruptly sat up, and then swore when her head smacked the bottom of the upper bunk. She had forgotten that she had switched bunks with Ari the night before.

Alexis stumbled out of bed and swore again as she smacked heads with someone else. She yelped as she tripped on an object on the floor and fell backwards, hitting her lower back on another painful object. The strobe-like warning light was disorienting her.

The room light was turned on and Ari stared at the other two women before her. Alexis, wearing the brace on her ankle, was rubbing her head while lying against the side of her bed. Marcia was suffering from a bad case of bed-head and was rubbing _her_ head as well.

"You two are unbelievable. _I_ was on the top bunk and _I_ didn't kill myself getting over to the light switch," she remarked, eyeing the other two women.

Marcia stood up and brushed herself off while saying, "Congratulations Arianna. Very well observed. Let us hurry before Tom finds a reason to give us janitorial duties at dinner for a month." She pulled out her pilot's gear from underneath her bunk and began quickly dressing.

Alexis pulled off the NYC T-shirt that she used as sleepwear and pulled on the thin, fire-resistant, long-sleeved shirt before pulling on the flight suit that was neatly folded underneath her bunk. After carefully navigating the brace through the pants leg, she checked to make sure her dog tags (to which Ari had a complex opinion about) were still attached to her gear. She then jammed on her combat boots, wincing when the brace jarred against her shin. Despite all that, she was second one out of the room, with Ari close behind.

National emergencies could happen anywhere and anytime. All staff and personnel of Area 51 had to be prepped in case of a major emergency, such as in the case of Mission City. The strobe-light warning system had been Tom's idea, and not only was it automatically set off in some emergencies, either he or Stanton could manually set it off since they were the only two who knew where the switch was. While the pilots got ready to fly out on a minute's notice, Stanton would contact Mr. Keller or other army branch leaders to figure out where they were needed. As the pilots were taking off, she would head to the bunker where the radar and recording equipment was located and then attempt to conduct the battle from there. It had been those recording devices that captured transmissions during Mission City, and for some bizarre reason the general was keeping everything under wraps.

All they had to do was stay prepared.

"What about our helmets?" Alexis asked, panting slightly as she worked hard to keep up with Marcia as they ran down the corridor. She sensed that Ari was right behind her, just as tired and clueless as she was.

"I don't know." Marcia said, turning the corner and grabbing a pair of thick leather gloves off a nearby rack without slowing down. "I didn't see them." She glanced over her shoulder and said, "You shouldn't be doing this Alexis. I can tell it hurts to walk. How will you fly?"

"I'll manage." Alexis said, attempting to reassure her comrade.

"Maybe this isn't the real deal and this is just another drill… or one of Tyler's sick jokes." Ari suggested. "I'll wring his scrawny little neck for you."

"That won't be necessary. Besides, Tyler hates getting out of bed in the middle of the night just to go fly." Alexis pointed out, slowing down slightly so that Marcia's hair would stay out of her face. She easily caught the hair elastic that Marcia tossed back and put her hair into a neat and tight ponytail. General Stanton was just as severe as the flight instructors about hair; one rumor going around was that she once cut off Riley's mohawk with a pair of scissors when he was a rookie on the squadron.

Marcia's words brought her back to the present. "Either way, we need to treat this like a real emergency," she said as she stopped suddenly to avoid hitting another pilot – Marty, Alexis guessed. He yelped in terror when he saw Marcia towering over him. "Don't just stand there you idiot, _move!" _she snapped, giving him a rough shove in the right direction.

Marty yelped again and scampered off, leaving a trail of annoyed people in his wake as he bumped into them in an attempt to escape Marcia's wrath. Alexis and Marcia then followed him into the main flow of traffic.

Everyone was congregating into the main hangars where the non-squadron planes were kept. These planes consisted of a few stealth bombers, three Lockheed F-104G Starfighters, two Curtiss XF-87s, and an old Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor jet that was kept in there for spare parts. Rumor had it that a Boeing 747-200 could fit in the hangar as well.

The three of them lined up with the rest of the squadron in two rows, slightly separate from the other personnel. Ari waited until they were all lined up and facing forward before quietly whispering, "This is _definitely _a drill." Alexis frowned slightly and gave her friend a sidelong glance.

"What makes you so sure?" she whispered back.

Ari snickered and whispered back, "You think Tom would be wearing his pajamas if this was a real emergency?"

Alexis looked forward again and saw that Tom was indeed wearing his pajamas: a pair of baggy sweatpants and white undershirt. "Things will get even more ugly once he catches his admirers eyeing him," she muttered back, casting a glance at some of the female members of the personnel.

Ari gave Alexis a puzzled look. "What admirers?" she asked.

Alexis rolled her eyes.

All the chatter in the hangar suddenly ceased. Alexis watched as the general calmly entered, carefully studying each person before her. Stanton _did not_ look very happy.

"What part of 'emergency alarm' did not get across to you?" she asked, appearing calm in an attempt to restrain her fury. She scanned the silent groups carefully, looking for the first person that was fidgeting. "The label underneath the alarm isn't there for show."

"Yeah whoever did it. 'The label isn't there for show'." Tyler mimicked as he sidled up to his friend and flight partner. "Nice going knucklehead. I was in the middle of my beauty sleep."

"Says the guy who did it." Ari muttered.

"Yes, Tyler. Would it honestly kill you to behave for twenty-four hours?" Marcia hissed through gritted teeth as the general paced in front of them, still searching for the perpetrator.

"But I didn't do it." Tyler whined, looking at Ari with big, soulful eyes.

"Knock it off." Ari growled before turning away.

"Hey, any of you guys seen Stryker?" Marcia whispered to them.

"No, but I'm not _too_ concerned about him right now." Alexis muttered as she scanned the crowd for him. She had just heard a whispered rumor that an unauthorized communication had leaked out of the base, and she had a gut feeling as to who exactly made it. Meanwhile, the general and her officials were separating the now-chattering groups of people into more manageable sizes to make the impending tasks of organizations and attendance taking easier.

"Yes, but who will get into trouble when Madame Stanton discovers him missing? He is _your _responsibility after all," a smooth voice said from behind.

"_Yikes."_ Ari murmured as she and Alexis turned to see the speaker. "I wish this guy was _my _responsibility."

A golden-haired pilot stood behind the three of them, baby-blue eyes twinkling. He too had the 401st logo on the right armband of his flight suit. "Name's White. Rad White. I'm from the Air Force base in Detroit, Michigan. It is an honor to meet you all," he said, extending a hand to them.

"Arianna Aliskevicz from Boston, Massachusetts." Ari said, accepting the hand and introducing herself.

"Alexis Preston from Topsfield, Maine." Alexis said, introducing herself. "The nut here is Tyler Collins."

"I'm from Hawaii." Tyler said, but Alexis discreetly shook her head behind him. Rad nodded in acknowledgement of the obvious lie.

"Alexis, you must be pretty brave to work with a man like Stryker. Lesser girls would have cracked by now." Rad remarked as Stanton began counting off the assembled personnel in the background.

"Lesser girls wouldn't have made it this far in the military." Alexis pointed out. "Although, Stryker can be a handful sometimes." She thought of all the grief he had given her since they'd met, and the little brush with death earlier that afternoon had done very little to make up for the rough treatment when Stryker hauled her partway to the medical wing. "But he's nothing I can't handle," she finally said, smiling sweetly.

Rad smiled and was about to say something else when he suddenly became aware of someone standing very close behind him. He turned, ready to tell the newcomer off for interrupting him, but stopped short when he came face-to-face with Stryker's imposing figure.

"Back… off." Stryker growled, towering over Rad.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later." Rad said, walking away to get back into line. Alexis was the only one who noticed the look of barely-concealed hostility that was exchanged between the two men.

"Soldiers! About face!" Stanton barked, jerking everyone back to reality.

They all straightened up and faced forward as Stanton continued to count each pilot. Stryker stood silently beside Alexis, and she cast a glance up to him. His facial expression was unreadable.

With him, everything was a deception.

It was all starting to give her whiplash.

---------------

A/N: This started out as two separate chapters, but I decided to combine them. Please let me know if the transition didn't run as smoothly as I had hoped.


	12. An Old Friend

Chapter Twelve

An Old Friend

"Ha ha, those losers have to spend twelve hours in Flight Basics 101 for hardcore review while _we_ get to spend the day in Mission City." Ari sang as she and Alexis walked down the street. "The sun is shining, the streets are clean, and Tyler is lost, so he won't be bothering us for the next twelve hours." She suddenly let out a squeal and said, "Is there a possibility for a shopping trip later?"

"I don't know… maybe." Alexis said, wondering how on earth she could get out of this. Shopping was Ari's forte, not hers. She scanned the crowd, wondering if Will Lennox was still here and wishing that he would show so she wouldn't lie to Ari when she said she saw him. A possibility occurred to her then, and then she suggested, "Why don't you go shopping with Marcia? She usually needs a shopping buddy, and it might be more fun with her and not me."

"What are you going to do?" Ari asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Probably find my friend Will. I haven't spoken to him since before Qatar, but I know he's okay because I saw him the last time we were here." Alexis admitted, turning back to face Ari.

"Fine. You be careful." Ari said, and they embraced. Alexis watched Ari swiftly disappear in the bustling shopping district, one of the few parts of the city that was untouched by the terrorist attacks. She wondered if she should have warned Ari to be careful; Alexis was sure that Ari deliberately looked for trouble when Alexis wasn't around.

Alexis turned and walked towards the business district, the place that had received the brunt of the terrorist attack. After stepping over the yellow caution tape, she checked to see if she had her military ID in case someone mistook her for a nosy reporter and tried to shoo her away. That was how riots sometimes got started.

The destruction was even worse up close. Despite the week-and-a-half since the attack, volunteers still had a lot of work ahead of them. Wreckage was still strewn about in the street, creating hidden traps for the unwary snooper. Alexis wasn't even sure if workers had gotten to this part of the city yet. She was mindful of her brace as she walked around the huge chunks of stone and glass and the numerous potholes. Ari was right; they _had_ made one hell of a mess. The real question was how much of the damage was actually created by the terrorists.

She paused; she heard voices nearby. Alexis walked through a shadow-covered alley that had escaped destruction, and found to her pleasant surprise a group of Red Cross volunteers working on the other side. She carefully edged her way past them, putting her hair up in an attempt to pass off as another volunteer. She was glad for once that Tom still kept a chest of 'legally-acquired' civilian clothes. It paid off sometimes to pretend to be a civilian.

To her delight, she spotted Will Lennox standing in the bed of a black GMC… the same GMC, Alexis realized, that had been the victim of Ari's erratic driving a few days earlier. Even as she got closer, her sharp eyes caught a fleck of tan paint on the right side near the front.

Alexis smiled when she got up to the vehicle. Will was in the middle of a conversation with a tall man she didn't recognize. She waited for a pause in the conversation, and when it came, she announced, "Will, you look terrible."

Will and the stranger both jerked back in surprise, and Will turned to face her. Alexis winced. He did look terrible since it was obvious he hadn't slept or showered in days. He gave her a tired smile and said, "Hey yourself Alexis. I'd give you a hug, but I'm a tad bit grimy right now."

"I'll say. Do you ever get a break?" Alexis asked. "Your pal here seems clean enough." She gestured to the man he had been talking to, who laughed a little in a polite manner.

Will playfully scowled, and then grinned again. "Alexis, this is Prime," he said, gesturing towards the man. Noticing her puzzled expression, he quickly added, "We gave him that nickname because he has partial control over the clean-up operation here."

Alexis didn't comment on the swift speed at which the second sentence had been added.

"Nice to meet you sir," she said, reaching over and shook hands with Prime. "Alexis Preston, United States Air Force."

Will frowned. "I thought you resigned last year because you had issues with your flight partner," he said, looking down at her from his post in the truck bed.

"I thought about backing down for a long time, but when I finally decided to do so, we were called here as reinforcements. I just decided to go, and quit after," she admitted. "But afterwards, there were only seven survivors, including myself. I just couldn't abandon Stanton or my teammates."

"You fought here at the recent battle?" Prime asked, clearly concerned.

"Don't worry, I don't remember much about it," she assured him, but for some reason, neither Will nor Prime looked completely convinced.

"General Stanton must have been furious when she was notified of the casualties." Will said, carefully choosing his words.

"Of course she was. This is Stanton we're talking about. She gets mad at everything that goes wrong." Alexis reminded him. Changing the subject, she asked, "How is Sarah doing?"

"She's good. I have a baby girl at home now too. Her name is Annabelle." Will said, pride evident in his voice.

"Wow, really? Congratulations." Alexis said, smiling with him. Her smile faded and she asked, "Did you have to wait until after the mess in Qatar to see her?"

Will nodded grimly. "I actually had to wait until after Mission City to see her," he said, "It was actually the same group of attackers from Qatar that were at Mission City." He frowned to himself, almost as though he had just admitted something he didn't mean to.

"Which was?" Alexis asked eagerly, pouncing on the opportunity for details.

Will winced. "Sorry, you weren't supposed to know that," he admitted, flushing slightly.

"The general already has some names, anyway, so it doesn't matter." Alexis commented, and Will looked at her, frowning slightly. "Agent Simmons and some guy named Samuel Witwicky. She probably will have Witwicky arrested or something, but she wouldn't pass up a chance to publicly accuse and personally arrest Simmons for the world."

"Sounds like something she would do." Will murmured, looking slightly concerned. Alexis had no doubt that he was recalling the public scandal that had occupied the media for months after Stanton attacked Oroville. What had really kept the media going was Stanton's narrow escape from losing her post and from being sent to a mental institution. Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 effectively removed the incident from the media spotlight, and Stanton had been relieved to have privacy again.

A honk nearby caught their attention. A colossal Peterbilt semi had pulled up nearby, pulling a trailer full of broken chunks of stone. Prime was in the driver's seat, waiting patiently.

"Sorry Alexis. They changed the drop-off point for wreckage and I told Prime I would help him find it again." Will said, jumping down from the truck bed. He tossed her a set of keys. "Please make sure no one steals the truck." He climbed up into the passenger side of the truck cab.

"Sure thing, Will. See you when you get back," she said, catching the keys with ease. She put them in her pocket and waved as the truck pulled away.

Alexis turned, and pulled the keys out again. She unlocked the door and climbed in, shutting and locking the door behind her. She leaned forward, found the appropriate key, and inserted it into the ignition. She turned it forward enough to have power for functions like the radio and the windows. As she relaxed in the driver's seat, enjoying the music, she examined the car interior. For such a heavy-duty truck, it had a nice, high-quality interior, with black leather seats and a padded roof. The steering wheel had grips to make it easier on the driver. She wondered where on earth Will acquired such a nice vehicle, and whether he would let her drive it if she asked nicely enough.

Something caught her eye. In the center of the steering wheel, there was a mask-like symbol, completely unfamiliar to her. Alexis frowned, and mentally reviewed the symbols of every major car-manufacturing company she knew, but couldn't come up with a match. She doubted it was some small, unknown company that made a truck this nice. Something like this would probably be in high demand.

It was probably something Will knew about. She would have to ask him when he got back from his errand.

She closed her eyes, trying to rest. Relaxation was a luxury she hadn't allowed herself to enjoy ever since Stryker Davis entered her life. Ari was right. There was something about him that made it hard to trust him. He may have gotten away from getting into trouble about the communications and the unauthorized exit, but she was pretty convinced he was to blame. Either way, she was close to giving up with dealing with him. Right when she was sure he was going to push her over the edge, he ended up doing some chivalrous act that left her with doubts.

She personally hated it when guys messed with her, especially during wartime.

Twelve hours with Tom should set Stryker right.

_THUMP_

_THUMP_

Alexis jumped at the sound of the first collision, and yelped at the sound of the second. She turned to her left and looked out the window, and to her surprise, saw both Ari and Tyler yelling at her, their voices muffled by the window. Ari looked cross, and Tyler's hair was mussed, and Alexis suspected that he must have crashed into Ari when she bumped into the truck. Growing worried, Alexis unlocked the door and opened it. "What's wro…" she began.

"Move!" Ari ordered, and roughly shoved Alexis into the passenger seat. Tyler scrambled into the back seat, slipping and sprawling all over the place in the process in his haste to get into the truck. Ari then slammed the driver's door shut.

"Buckle up!" Ari ordered, and Alexis obeyed, confused and slightly terrified.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded as Ari started the engine, twisting the key as far as it could go.

Ari sighed and sagged back into the driver's seat. Alexis could see that her friend was breathing hard as though she had just run a marathon. She slowly turned to face Alexis, clearly trying to remain calm. She leaned in slightly, and gestured for Alexis to do the same. When Alexis did, Ari whispered, "He's back."

Then she sat straight and floored the accelerator.


	13. Road Rage

Chapter Thirteen

Road Rage

"Ari, this isn't my car! Get out!" Alexis yelled.

"Too late!" Ari said while slamming her foot on the brake just as the truck nearly collided with a little Camaro. She bit her tongue as she put the truck in reverse to back away from the Camaro, but then she apparently decided that the pursuer had a higher priority than the sports car. "I'm sorry, but the truck was the most convenient vehicle at the time," she whined, flooring the gas yet again and shooting forward, narrowly missing the Camaro.

"Most convenient vehicle to what?" Alexis demanded.

"To escape from _him._"

Alexis gritted her teeth and snarled, "Escape from who Ari?"

Ari remained silent as she clumsily navigated through the debris-strewn street. That was when Alexis noticed the blue, red, and white flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. The familiar black-and-white colors of the pursuing vehicle soon came into view and Alexis swore when she recognized the color patterns. "You idiot!" she screamed at Ari, who winced. "We shouldn't be running from cops! That's against the law! _Stop!_"

"Look at the cruiser number." Ari quietly ordered, turning a sharp right onto a slightly busy civilian street. The cruiser's wailing sirens and flashing lights alerted people to the chase that was currently in progress. Alexis used the right turn as an opportunity to get a chance to look at the cruiser number.

643.

Alexis slowly sat back down in her seat and didn't say anything for a minute. Then she asked quietly and slowly, "Ari? Is that… the same guy from Los Angeles?"

"The one and only. Hard to believe, I know." Ari said, turning left at the next intersection. Alexis pretended she didn't see the red light Ari just ran.

"How did you find him?" Alexis asked.

Ari shrugged. "I swear that guy is stalking me. How else would he have found me here? I had just found Tyler at a coffee shop and he was getting booted out for eating too much. I happened to be in the line of fire and he crashed into me and we landed on top of the back of the cruiser. I sassed the cop before I recognized him and he recognized me. Then I used Tyler as my first line of defense, which didn't work because the chicken decided to follow me while _I_ ran. Then I saw this truck and thought it would be great to use. It just so happened that you were in it," she said, accelerating a little more. The traffic behind them was impeding the cruiser a little, but Alexis doubted that their luck would last this far.

"Just my luck." Alexis muttered sarcastically. "Just try not to bang the truck up; it belongs to Will."

"Good to hear you found him after all." Ari said, grinning while taking her eyes off the road as she turned to face Alexis.

"I… think… I'm gonna… be… sick." Tyler moaned as he tried to pull himself up from his cramped position in the backseat, using the front headrests for support. Ari's next sharp turn sent him tumbling back to the floor behind the front seats.

"Would it be too much to ask to stop so you can let me out?" Alexis asked, gripping the edge of her seat. It wasn't the high speed she minded so much; it was more of the lack of control Ari had over the truck. Despite this though, the truck was moving beautifully.

"Yes it would be. Now shut up so I can focus." Ari snapped, her eyes now back on the road before her, only occasionally glancing up at the rear-view mirror to keep a tab on their pursuer. As she turned a right at the next intersection, Ari uttered some dark profanities that caused even Tyler to shut up.

Alexis figured their timing couldn't have been worse. Ari's turn had been so wide that she was now in the opposite lane, in front of oncoming traffic. Ari could easily get out of the way, but Alexis had a feeling that the motorcycle police officers weren't going to allow them to pull such a stunt in front of the presidential motorcade.

Swearing, Ari pulled another gradual right so that she was back in the appropriate lane, _almost_ clipping the lead motorcyclist by accident. Then she eased into a Starbucks parking lot and parked, parallel to the motorcade now. Alexis was sure they could all just sit out now and the police cruiser would just pass them, and give up later. She bowed her head, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, boy." Ari said, exhaling on the second word.

Alexis looked up. She could see the rogue cruiser coming up on her left, approaching the intersection on her right, the same intersection that the motorcade was crossing. Instead of slowing down like the law dictated, the cruiser instead _accelerated_. Alexis surmised with horror that the cruiser was going to ram the president's vehicle… and the motorcade security was making the error of assuming that the cruiser driver was the good guy.

The memory of the two terrorist conspirators suddenly re-surfaced, and Alexis guessed that the cruiser driver was one of them… he _was_ aiming to ram the president.

"Ari, it's time to redeem ourselves and get paybacks for Los Angeles. Ram him." Alexis said, gesturing to the cruiser. She normally wasn't this way, but this wasn't a normal situation. Besides, she was scared of the possibility of missing the cruiser and hitting something else.

"Ram the rammer. Got it." Ari said, grinning nastily. She liked her friend's new attitude. To Alexis however, the truck seemed just as eager to smash into the cruiser, because the massive black vehicle lunged forward as Ari floored the accelerator. There was a barely-noticeable bump as the truck shot off the curb and easily met the cruiser head-on. Alexis heard a faint _smack_ as both vehicles connected and were shoved forward due to the truck's momentum. Both vehicles ended up parallel to the crosswalk at a dead stop… with no casualties. Alexis could see that the motorcade was nearly gone now, clearly eager to get out of the danger zone.

"GMC pick-up versus Saleen cruiser. Who wins?" Tyler said, having found his voice again. Alexis noted with relief that Tyler had finally thought to buckle up at some point during the ride.

"If he wasn't pissed off before, he sure is now." Ari warned through gritted teeth as the cruiser slowly backed away, its entire front fender smashed in and mangled. With a growl of the engine, the truck backed up again and Ari yelped as she scrambled to regain control of the vehicle. She made a sharp turn forward to the right again away from the retreating motorcade. The cruiser followed, hot on their tail. Alexis flinched when there was a bright flash of light as the sun reflected off of something silvery and metallic inside the cruiser.

Ari of course had no problem getting back to seventy mph… in a forty-mile-per-hour zone. "This is kinda fun," she admitted, keeping an eye on the road ahead of her and an eye on the rear-view mirror. "This is way better than Jackson's video games."

"Just be glad there isn't much traffic in this part of the city." Alexis snapped.

Ari sighed as she casually switched lanes. "Relax… and be quiet. I'm trying to focus. I'm about to shake him off," she murmured.

"Shake him off neatly please." Alexis grumbled. The earlier collision had to have caused significant damage to the truck's front. Panic suddenly gripped her heart as she realized what road they were on and where they were going. "Arianna Aliskevicz, do you know exactly where you are going?" she demanded, glaring at the woman next to her.

"Yes, I do, Alexis Preston. Lucky for us, the psycho doesn't." Ari answered, accelerating up the hill that loomed before them. She paused, looking in the rear-view mirror. "Good. We're about to lose him," she said, and then focused on the road before her again.

True to her word, they slipped out of view of the cruiser when they reached the top of the hill, surrounded by residential homes. Ari casually pulled into one of the empty driveways so that the truck was partially hidden by the trees and the nearby house. Then she gestured for the others to get out so she could explain her intentions. Alexis meanwhile looked uneasily to her left down the long stretch of road.

This was one of the few hidden dangers of Mission City. Situated near the city outskirts, this particular hill, nicknamed 'Devil's Run' by city residents, sloped at a gradual incline on one side and a sixty-five degree 'drop' on the other. For some odd reason or another, the engineers who built the road designed it so that it went straight down, not in a curve to reduce speed like in San Francisco. What made the situation worse was that this was a two-way road, increasing the risk of a head-on collision. Thankfully, there was virtually no traffic on the road today, partly due to the destruction that was still at the bottom of the hill.

"Lady and gentleman, welcome to Devil's Run." Ari said, dragging Alexis back to the present. "This, in my opinion, is one of the most dangerous road in America, and the federal government has yet to figure that fact out. Now, one of the mistakes that naïve, out-of-town drivers make on this road is that they speed to get up the hill, but don't slow down because they don't realize how steep the hill actually is. Normally, they'd go straight down into the next intersection without braking, but the rubble will slow this guy down." She paused and clasped her hands together. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, how is this going to get rid of the cruiser?" Alexis asked, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. She tensed when she heard the approaching cruiser engine.

Ari grinned evilly and said, "Here is how the cruiser is worked in. He'll be speeding up the hill because he doesn't want to lose us. His momentum will send him right over the top before he realizes what is going on. Then he'll lose control and go careening down the hill and then crash somewhere down there."

As if on cue, the cruiser appeared out of nowhere… and barreled right past them. As the car passed them, Ari saluted sharply, Tyler pulled off his baseball cap in a respectful gesture, and Alexis frowned. Was it her imagination, or was there nobody in the car?

The driver realized his error when it was too late to do anything about the situation. There was a loud squeal as the brakes were applied and the cruiser actually managed to come to a complete stop a quarter of the way down. Ari's face fell in disappointment and she swore.

With a faint screeching sound, the cruiser inched forward and Alexis could see that the driver was going to attempt a U-turn and then crawl back up Devil's Run to where they were. Gravity however, had different plans. When the rear end of the car swung around, there was a faint _pop_ as something small and metallic fell out from underneath the vehicle. The car stopped, and very slowly began to roll backwards, gathering speed as it went down. A cloud of dust was the only indication of car's entrance into the rubble that was in the street at the bottom of the hill.

Alexis sighed and went back to the truck to claim the driver's seat. As Tyler and Ari buckled in, Alexis discovered that the keys were wedged between the car door and the front seat. She wondered briefly how long they had been sitting there.

"This was totally worth the punishment we are undoubtedly going to get. Stanton is going to be _so_ mad." Ari finally announced, closing her eyes as she cooled down from the adrenaline rush.

Alexis rolled her eyes and drove the rest of the way in silence.

It didn't take long to find the original location of the truck, although the volunteers had moved on long before. Alexis parked the truck near the closest group, knowing that she was due back at the base soon. She scribbled a note on a piece of scrap paper for Will, explaining everything and apologizing for allowing the incident to happen and then tucked it on the dashboard in front of the speedometer.

_I hope Will doesn't get _too_ mad,_ she thought gloomily as she studied the emblem on the steering wheel one last time. She couldn't explain why, but the symbol gave her an uneasy feeling, like the feeling she got whenever she was with Stryker or when Will explained about Qatar earlier that day.

Were they all connected somehow?


	14. Punishment

Chapter Fourteen

Punishment

"Appalling. Absolutely appalling."

Alexis tried not to wince with every word. Stanton calmly paced behind the three of them as they sat facing her desk. Tom was sitting in a chair in the corner, not bothering to hide his amusement in the circumstances that landed the three pilots in the general's office. It was extremely late in the evening, and Alexis was only starting to feel fatigued from the day's events. She had yet to face Stryker; she had a gut feeling that he would be giving her a mouthful about this incident after Stanton.

To her right, Ari sat, stony-faced. Alexis was envious of her ability to sit through a grilling without flinching, but she suspected that it was due to the fact that Ari constantly got herself into trouble. Ari must have developed her ability through the endless hours of lecturing and punishment from not only Stanton, but from any prior instructors, military or otherwise. It was only her perseverance that had brought her this far. If it wasn't for that, Alexis knew that Ari would have been discharged from the Air Force years ago.

Tyler on the other hand did not possess such patience, and was fidgeting in his seat to Alexis's left. Nobody knew exactly what his story was before he came to the 401st about six months prior to Mission City due to his compulsive habit to lie when asked certain questions. From observations though, Alexis could tell he had as much patience as a young child when it came to discipline. He only stilled in his seat when Stanton cleared her throat behind him.

"Permission to speak ma'am." Alexis asked, having found the courage to finally speak. She dared not turn around to face Stanton; Ari had done so once already and had had her head turned back to face forward by Tom, who was right near her. The saying went, better Tom than Stanton for reprimands, but he was nowhere near Alexis, unlike Stanton.

She heard Stanton's footsteps pause. "Permission granted Preston," she said, her voice now off to Alexis's right… she was behind Ari now.

"We stopped a potential assassination from happening. Those two men having that conversation over the radio were planning this. Have you taken the fact that the president is still alive because of us under consideration?" Alexis asked, wondering if she was overstepping her boundaries with the question.

"There is currently an investigation underway as to determine whether it was an assassination attempt or merely a innocent police officer trying to catch a _certain_ rogue driver." Stanton said as she resumed pacing behind them.

"You got everything right except the innocent part. I swear that guy is out to get me." Ari muttered, only loud enough for Alexis to hear. Alexis shook her head discreetly to discourage her friend, but Ari continued anyway. "In fact, I will bet three hundred that the next time I'm in DC, the cop will be there too and we'll have to fight for our lives again. Three hundred. Any takers?" Alexis rolled her eyes when she and Ari saw Tom nod in acknowledgement of the bet. Then his eyes flickered back to Stanton as she began talking again.

"What is worse is that this is exactly the evidence Simmons needs to disband the 401st. The three of you were identified as being in the vehicle, and then I received a direct complaint from not only Thayer, but Keller as well. Mr. Keller complained about apparent misuse of a government-owned vehicle, and Mr. Thayer complained about the _obvious_ lack of conduct and control from pilots under my jurisdiction. I can't fight for you all in the Pentagon if you keep acting like this."

"How the hell did _they _find out about this?" Ari demanded. Suddenly she turned around to face Stanton and demanded, "How the hell did _you _find out about this?" Before Stanton could forcefully turn her head around, Ari quickly resumed facing forward, only she was smirking this time.

Stanton stopped between Alexis and Ari and said coolly, "_We all_ found out through the news station. The press covering the presidential visit to Mission City managed to catch your little stunt on film, and then 'accidentally' broadcasted the incident to the entire nation."

"We saw it during the little session I was giving the newcomers. How much force did you use when you rammed the cop?" Tom asked, speaking for the first time.

"Thomas!" Stanton hissed, and Tom put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I will not have any encouragement for this kind of… activity. I expected a call from Mr. Thayer about it, but when Keller called, I was embarrassed. Honestly, I haven't had such troublemakers since 1995, and they weren't as bad as these three." She growled low in her throat when Tyler began to fidget again. He stilled once again immediately.

"So the SecDef is a lot more strict than the Staff Chief. Big deal." Tom muttered, ignoring Stanton again.

Stanton ignored his remark. She snapped, "Miss Aliskevicz and Mr. Collins, I sadly expected this behavior from you. But Alexis," she hesitated, and then finished in a softer tone saying, "Alexis, I expected better from you. Somebody could have been killed. We are all fortunate that everyone survived, including the police officer. He was a bit disheveled, but alive and unscratched. Sadly, we can't say the same about his vehicle… yet he refused to let it be taken to the shop. He was able to drive it away from the scene after crews dug him out."

"Devil's Run was ingenious. Congrats." Tom said from his seat, grinning.

Stanton didn't bother trying to tell her third-in-command to shut it this time. She had been up for almost eighteen hours straight now, and was running on three hours of sleep. Several hours after the damned alarm had been shut off, Stryker Davis and Rad White had started bickering over who had set the alarm off in the first place. Then later during their session with Tom, there had been another minor, semi-violent argument between them, and although they both refused to reveal the cause of it, Tom said it had been an issue concerning Preston. This all made her nervous. Stryker was a figurative time bomb, one that was rapidly ticking down. Stanton had faced people with similar temperaments to his, but at least then she had known how to either set the people off or diffuse the situation before things got too ugly. Stryker was very hard to read. She didn't know when he was going to blow, so she had figured out a way to not only make sure he and Preston became best pals, but keep an eye on him as well.

"So… are you gonna punish us?" Tyler ventured, choosing his words somewhat carefully. He hadn't uttered a word since he was hauled into Stanton's office. Alexis suspected that he disliked his status as 'not-a-rookie-but-not-an-experienced-flier-yet', the level above rookie but below respected pilot. The respect level hadn't really changed much either. Stryker had dealt a severe blow to Tyler's self-confidence by intimidating him and holding him by the ear in front of the older pilots. One did not gain respect by being hauled around by the ear.

"What on earth made you think you were going to get out of punishment?" Stanton hissed, and Tyler flinched at her harsh tone. Stanton walked around the desk and sat back down, clearly frustrated with the three of them. "You all are lucky that Simmons was out of the country on a diplomatic mission and therefore missed this golden opportunity to shut the whole operation down." Stanton said in an icy tone.

"I thought Simmons lost his job." Ari interrupted, frowning.

"Thayer told me that Simmons does odd jobs for Mr. Keller from time to time… although how the Chief of Staff of the Air Force knows this is beyond me. Even I didn't know what he was doing at the time. It's almost feels as though Keller is hiding something from me and has my own boss in on the loop." Stanton murmured thoughtfully. She shook her head and then said, "Aliskevicz and Collins, you are hereby sentenced to being Tom's 'assistants' for an indefinite amount of time."

"Yeah, Mackerson could really use the company." Tom said, grinning now. Alexis knew he was going to run Riley, Ari, and Tyler ragged by the end of the week. Ari was fidgeting nervously just from viewing Tom's scheming expression.

Ari opened her mouth to protest as Tyler groaned. The expression on Stanton's face however stopped Ari from fully vocalizing her protest and prompted her to shut her mouth and nod stiffly. "Yes… ma'am," she consented through clenched teeth.

"Dismissed." Stanton ordered, smiling sweetly for the first time since they had arrived

"Come on guys! The mess hall can't clean itself you know." Tom said, grinning bigger at the loud groans from Ari and Tyler. Alexis was smart enough not to follow her friends this time. Instead, she stayed in her seat and listened to her friends' departures. Then she watched with disinterest as Stanton leaned forward and pressed a button on a small console on her desk. "Randall, bring Stryker Davis to my office," she ordered before releasing the button. Turning to Alexis now, she asked, "Preston, how are you handling your relationship with Davis?"

"Very well ma'am. No problems whatsoever," Alexis replied. It wasn't really a lie; she and Stryker had mutually established two different kinds of interactions; either snippy exchanges or full-blown arguments. The only time they had ever come close to physical violence was that one time she had tried to punch him in the face. She cringed when she thought of the awkward position they had ended up in.

In a way, they established the enmity between them.

"That's good." Stanton said, apparently not noticing Alexis's discomfort. "Thomas and I have both decided to keep him on the squadron. He is a phenomenal flier and a good soldier. His flight instructors put commendations on his records and he has excellent scores," the general continued, pulling up Stryker's electronic record. "All we need to do now is start having the two of you work and train together. At the end, you should be able to predict his actions. My objective is for you two to be able to trust each other with your lives by the time we are done with this little… _experiment_ let's call it."

Alexis nodded, even though her mind was reeling. She hated being the guinea pig of a social experiment from the general, especially when the experiment involved a person she didn't get along with. What made things worse was that it was Stanton who came up with the experiment. Her 'experiments' often ended up with bizarre results.

"Ma'am?" she asked, and the general looked up to acknowledge her. "When you say 'work together' do you mean that we need to stick together for the _entire _day?" she asked, struggling not to think of the implications if that was the case.

"From sun-up to sun-down." Stanton replied, smiling again. "The trick is for both of you to carry on your usual routines. I want to see how this turns out. If it works, I may try with another set of partners." She frowned slightly, and then asked, "Are there any questions or complaints or both? Do you want to back down from this?"

"No ma'am. What I meant earlier was that if Stryker had a training seminar or something, would I have to go too?" Alexis asked.

Stanton grinned and said, "It would all be review for you would it not?"

Alexis could just see hours of torment from Ari ahead of her. Servitude to Tom suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore.

"One more thing," Stanton said, catching Alexis's attention, "I encourage you to maintain your friendship with Aliskevicz and Collins, but your main priority is to work on your relationship with Davis." A soft knock on the door interrupted her. Stanton looked up and said in a business-like tone, "Come in please."

Alexis heard Stryker's heavy footsteps enter, followed by Randall's lighter tread behind him. There was the scraping of a metallic chair against the carpeted floor as Stryker sat down beside her. There was a _click_ of the door shutting as Randall left the room.

"Thank you Stryker for being patient with us." Stanton said, still smiling.

"You are welcome." Stryker replied in a mimicking tone.

His blatant disrespect was starting to get on Alexis's nerves. She discreetly kicked him under the general's desk.

To her irritation, he didn't even react.

"Stryker, you and Preston will be working together for now. I expect the two of you to carry on your usual routines, except you'll be together. I want you to be able to trust Preston with your life, and be able to predict her actions." Stanton explained, eyes studying for a reaction. Alexis knew that Stanton wouldn't be able to get one from Stryker.

"I look forward to working with… Alexis." Stryker said, eyes briefly flickering to Alexis. She mentally shuddered; she felt more like she was his prey rather than his flight partner.

"Good. You will both start tomorrow. Dismissed." Stanton said, and gestured for them to leave.

Alexis was out the door before Stryker. She now wished she hadn't kicked him; he usually succeeded in getting his full revenge. She knew that from experience. Alexis finally slowed down when she heard Stryker's heavy footsteps right behind her. Might as well as get it over with.

"You realize this is your fault right? If you hadn't pulled that infantile stunt off in front of the cameras we wouldn't be here because Stanton wouldn't have felt insecure about our 'relationship'." Stryker hissed in her ear, and she jumped at the close proximity and the suddenness of his words. "We both know you don't want to be with me as much as I don't want to be with you. But since you are so obsessed with pleasing _your_ leader, you will bear it in silence."

Alexis scowled. "She's your leader too Stryker," she snapped, turning around and jabbing her finger into his chest. He jerked back, his face twisted into an offended expression. "Don't forget that."

"You are really aiming to be the bane of my existence Alexis Preston," he snarled in a slightly raspy tone once he got over his brief shock at her aggression towards him.

"Then what are your aims Stryker? To be a part of this team or become my personal demon sent straight from hell designed specifically to torment me?" she demanded, her patience starting to wear thin.

He paused, as though considering the question. "I think my first priority is to make your life miserable," he finally answered, offering a nasty grin.

Alexis stared at him. "Jerk," she snapped at him, and then stalked away. The only things holding her back from pummeling him was her discipline and the fact that he was bigger and stronger than her. She knew that he knew he could easily kill her if he so chose, and she could have sworn that he was considering it when they were having the staring contest a few minutes ago. Besides why the hell would 'her' stunt bother him so much to the point he had to act like a sore loser? It wasn't as though he was counting on a completely different outcome…

She swore when the thought hit her. He wouldn't care unless he could have been one of the terrorists on the radio channel when she tried to get through to Stryker… Damn. She smacked her head against the corridor wall in frustration, and muttered another curse when her head began to throb. She was the base's biggest idiot. It was on Stryker's channel that she caught the conversation. So of course Stryker was going to be involved; he must have been the raspy-voiced person. The news coverage would probably have the identity of the cop, the other perpetrator. She snorted as another thought occurred to her. Ari was worried more about the cop when the bigger threat was in the same building as her.

Alexis knew she couldn't go to Stanton yet. She needed the damned evidence first.

She also needed the evidence fast before another assassination attempt was put in motion.

------------------

A/N: I know this was a fast update, but my reason is that I may not get a chance to update for a while because exams are coming up and the term is closing, so I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up. Until then, enjoy!


	15. Day One

-**WARNING:** While no actual words are spelled out, there is an implication of strong language. The character was intending to say something, but only got the first letter out before they were interrupted.

--------------

Chapter Fifteen

Day One

For the second time that week, Alexis woke up to something other than her digital alarm clock or the morning bell.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ari screeched from above her. "This is the _girls'_ room! Get out of here!" When the perpetrator didn't immediately move, she snapped, "Alexis! Control your partner and _get him out of here!"_

Alexis groaned and looked blearily at her watch. 7:25 a.m. Was it seriously just five minutes before the morning bell? Would it honestly kill Ari or Stryker to wait for five blasted minutes?

It was then she realized with a jolt of horror that it was Stryker out there in the room, apparently eager to make her life hell today. Groaning again she put her head under the pillow, determined to enjoy those precious last five minutes. She had lost sleep the night before because she had been trying to figure out what Stryker's motives were, and only slept when she was overcome with exhaustion. Ari was now blissfully quiet, so Stryker was probably gone and now those five minutes seemed like a guarantee…

_Splash!_

Suddenly a cold liquid was poured onto the back of her now-exposed neck and she stifled a cry of shock as the water seeped down her back and dripped from the sides of her neck. She gritted her teeth when she heard Ari's quiet snickering from above. Growling, she threw her pillow to the right, attempting to hit Stryker with it. Then she sat up on her knees, water dripping from her hair. Her mood only worsened when she saw Stryker standing there in front of her, already dressed and holding an empty bucket. He smirked victoriously when they made eye contact, and she immediately felt self-conscious of her drenched sweatshirt. "Get out so I can change," she snapped crossly.

It must have been her expression that convinced him to leave. Either way, he seemed smug as he walked out of the room. Alexis grumbled to herself as the morning bell went off. First she got into a comfortable sitting position, with her legs dangling off the side and carefully experimented with her recently-freed-from-the-brace ankle. She stood up, and wrung the water out of her hair, seething as she took her pillow back from Marcia. She tossed it back on her bunk and made her bed as Ari began moving around in the bunk above her. After the bed was made, she took the empty water bucket that was by the door, and then, in a fit of childish irritation, threw it over her shoulder in Ari's general direction. Ari paused in her work to lean slightly back out of the bucket's path, and watched in amusement as the plastic bucket rebounded off of the wall and smacked Alexis in the back of the head.

"What the f…" Alexis began, clutching the back of her head. She was cut off when Marcia threw a big ball of wadded-up socks at her face, specifically at her mouth. The ball then rolled back to Marcia on the floor.

"Watch your language," Marcia warned as she picked up the ball and fixed the rubber band around the socks so it was tighter. She rolled out of bed and put the socks back in their concealed location.

"You know Marcia, you're the only person I know who keeps socks specifically to shut people up if they're about to swear," Ari observed from the safety of her bunk.

"Shut up," Alexis growled.

"Whatever is the matter Alexis? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Ari politely inquired, but her smirk gave away the fact that she knew perfectly well what the matter was.

"Leave the poor girl alone. She needs her strength for dealing with Stryker today." Marcia said, and waved off Alexis's scowl. "The general's assignment for you and Davis was the only thing Riley was talking about last night. He'd overheard Stanton telling Tom about it," she explained as Alexis finished pulling her boots on, pulling her hair into a ponytail afterwards. Marcia turned to the other occupant in their room and said, "Arianna, you must get a move on if you hope to get breakfast."

"Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned sleep-in-while-you-can?" Ari grumbled, but continued getting ready anyway.

Alexis was still in a bad mood when she left her room. She ignored Stryker as he joined her in the corridor. She didn't speak to him or acknowledge his presence until after she had retrieved her breakfast from Rosie in the mess hall. They sat down across from each other at her usual table near the center of the huge room.

"You seem unusually eager to fulfill the tasks the general gave us," she casually remarked, eyeing him suspiciously. No need to bring up this morning; she would only succeed in riling him up further.

"More like eager to make you miserable, like you suggested yesterday," he said, his feelings plain and simple. "I don't like you."

"You're not much of a charmer either," she snapped back. She sipped her orange juice, and then asked, "So what is your usual routine anyway? I kind of don't have one… considering this is probably the first day I have to do actual work instead of train." She made eye contact with him, and decided that his eyes weren't really brown. His eyes were more of a brown-black-red mix. Unusual combination.

He looked away first. "Usually a training seminar… or two," he answered.

Of course… he _would_ pick the one thing that she did have a problem with. She poked at her food for a few moments before slowly eating what was on her plate. She noted that Stryker wasn't eating again. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him eat anything since his arrival. Since he was still was as formidable as he had been upon his arrival, she suspected that he was eating food that he must have smuggled into the base. She wondered why he was so paranoid that he didn't eat the stuff from the mess kitchen… then again he could have heard the rumors of Riley 'booby-trapping' the dinner that one time a few years back. If she ever got over her fear of Stryker (which wasn't likely) she would have to ask him why he did what he did.

She stood up and placed her plastic tray on the racks where the clean-up crew would find it, and then walked out of the mess hall, Stryker trailing her the entire time. Finally, she asked, "Do you have a seminar today?"

"I don't know," Stryker said, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why?" he asked, matching her pace easily when she didn't immediately answer.

"I want to know why because I want to see if I have time to check over the jet I'll be using. Marcia said they were prepared for us to check over today," Alexis said, jamming her hands into the pockets of the fatigues she was wearing. She was quiet as they walked down the corridors, and then she risked another question. "What made you decide to join the Air Force?"

Stryker didn't immediately answer. "Why?" he finally demanded, and Alexis instinctively knew to back off.

"Just trying to make conversation," she grumbled. He was starting to become a waste of her time. If he wanted to be a complete stranger, that was fine with her.

They finally arrived at the F-22 hangar, and it was bustling with activity. Instead of two, there were now eight jets sitting there. Riley was atop his, scrubbing out the dark streaks that marred the top of the wings, Ari and Tyler were supposed to be cleaning the surfaces and checking out the systems carefully, but were now engaged in a game of toss with soapy sponges instead, and Marcia was handing tools to somebody who was tucked into the belly of another F-22 (Alexis could only see a hand coming out of the open panel, so it could have been anybody in there). She suspected it was Jackson making his own personal adjustments to the internal workings to make his the fastest jet on the squadron; he always loved the speed and the competition. Alexis also knew that Andrew had slept just as badly as she had; he was fast asleep, tucked into the open cockpit of his F-22 like a baby in a cradle.

General Stanton would have a field day with punishments if she saw all of this.

"Hey Preston! Toss the sponge up please!" Riley shouted from his position near the cockpit. His voice jerked Alexis back to reality, and she nodded in acknowledgement to his request. He scowled when he saw Stryker, and Alexis was pretty sure Riley made a rude gesture to Stryker when her back was turned because Stryker growled when she bent down to pick up the sponge. She threw the sponge up to Riley, wincing when she heard the wet _smack_ as it accidentally hit him in the face. Then she took Stryker's shirt collar and dragged him away before he could start another fight.

"I don't like Mackerson," Stryker growled as the pair of them approached the bulletin board in the hangar, where the day's assignments were usually posted. Alexis pulled out the small card from her slot, and made a small noise of approval when she saw that all she had to do was give the new jet a thorough check-over.

"General Stanton and Tom don't like Riley either so you're not alone," Alexis assured him as she walked over to her jet. She gave it a quick look-over on the exterior and then faced her next dilemma. She determined that her short height was working against her again, so she was not tall enough to get onto the top on her own… and there were no crates nearby to help her this time. She turned around, and hesitantly called out, "Stryker?"

He immediately became suspicious of her hesitant tone. "What?" he asked in a low and deadly tone, almost as if he was preparing for a confrontation. Alexis sighed as she watched him slip into that defensive stance.

"I need a boost up," she explained. "Just brace yourself, interlock your fingers like this," here she demonstrated with her own fingers, and then continued by saying, "then keep your palms facing up. I'm going to use your hands as a 'step' and you can let go when I pull myself up onto the wing. Do I need to repeat myself?" she finally asked.

Stryker grumbled to himself for a few minutes, but interlocked his fingers anyway to provide the step up. Alexis warily approached him, wondering if asking him for help was one of her brightest ideas. Probably not, since he was a future assassin… even if she didn't have the proof. He could easily drop her, claim it was an accident, and he would have one less liability to worry about. Trying to ignore her fears, she placed her hands on his shoulders and placed a foot in the 'step', and he straightened up, hoisting her up.

_Clong!_

Alexis swore out loud as her head connected with the wing tip. At least Stryker had the sense to catch her bridal style when she lost her balance and fell. Ari, a seemingly constant witness to Alexis's mistakes, was howling with laughter as Stryker dropped Alexis the rest of the way to the ground. Alexis crawled to the nearest water bucket and pressed a cold sponge to the stinging spot on her head.

"Today just isn't your day, is it Preston?" Riley asked, watching with amusement. "Marcia gave me a run-down of this morning."

"Shut up," Alexis growled, and then gestured for Stryker to hoist her up again. She was more careful of the wing tip this time, and pulled herself up onto the wing. She then watched as Stryker wandered back over to his jet, and vanished when he walked around. Then she began the closer inspection of the cockpit.

Alexis took advantage of Stryker's disappearance to focus on her work without worrying about her back. She mused over her current situation as she checked the radio channels to make sure everyone in the squadron was accessible over the team and private frequencies. She still needed the evidence to turn Stryker in, although he hadn't done anything seriously threatening that morning, even when presented with numerous opportunities of 'work-related accidents'…

_Nah, he wouldn't do anything like that with witnesses around,_ she decided.

Everything seemed to be in working condition in the cockpit, and the engine systems seemed to be in perfect working conditions as well. She suddenly couldn't wait to get back into the air, although she apparently had to gain Stryker's trust first…

Suddenly, the noon bell cut through her thoughts. She groaned, standing up, her back muscles stiff from bending over all morning. A training seminar suddenly didn't seem so bad anymore. Alexis turned and used the close proximity to Riley's jet to her advantage by jumping from her jet's wing to his. His F-22 was closest to the crates, and she didn't trust Stryker to catch her. She was not willing to smash her ankle up again when she could just use the crates to get down. Riley was blissfully unaware of all this happening due to the fact that he was plugged into the F-22's radio via a pair of earphones. Alexis surmised that Riley wasn't aware that he was dancing along to whatever he was listening to as well.

"How long has he been doing that?" she whispered to Stryker after she got to the ground and he had joined her.

"Hours," Stryker answered, all maliciousness absent from his voice for once. "Aliskevicz… yes, her, she apparently plans to upload her recorded video of Mackerson onto the World Wide Web, onto a site called 'Youtube'."

"You could just call it the 'Internet'," Alexis told him as they walked down the main corridor to the mess hall. "'World Wide Web' can be quite a mouthful sometimes."

Stryker scowled, and Alexis somehow knew his bad temper had returned. So they walked in silence for a few moments, listening to the chatter behind them from the other pilots. She felt, for some reason, that this was the perfect moment for paybacks for this morning, even though it would only rile him up further. She casually walked slower than him, so that she was behind him. When they were walking up the small flight of stairs that would eventually lead to their destination, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and, before he could snap her fingers off for placing her hand there, she pulled on his shoulder to pull herself up the last stretch of stairs, pushing him back down in the process. She winced when she heard a thump behind her, and laughter from Andrew and Jackson who were bringing up the rear of the group.

"Play 'Momentum Fish' much Stryker?" Jackson teased as they walked by.

"Naw, he just has two left feet and a low intelligence level like Collins," Andrew disagreed as he stepped over Stryker. Alexis winced again when she heard the smack of a high-five; Stryker was not going to be a happy camper later. She figured she'd better have at least two other people nearby for protection from here on out. She was playing with fire now, and it was game over if she was burned.

Stryker didn't reappear until after she sat down with Ari and Tyler at their usual table in the mess hall with lunch. To Alexis's mild surprise, Marcia and Jackson were sitting there as well. Marcia offered a tired smile when Alexis sat down. Ari went around the table and sat on Marcia's other side, Tyler next to her. Alexis ignored Stryker as he sat down beside her on her right.

"This isn't fair!"

Alexis raised an eyebrow when she saw Ari reading the _Mission City Tribune_, one of the few newspapers that the general usually permitted into the base. The newspaper was propped up like an open book, and only the top of Ari's head was visible. "Okay, I'll bite. What's not fair?" Alexis asked, experimentally sipping her soup to avoid burning her tongue.

"Read the stupid headline fuzz-head," Ari growled.

Of course, how could she miss it when the headline was right in her face? The headline screamed 'President Threatened By Maniac Drivers' and the subtitle read, 'Police-And-Civilian Chase Ends Badly For Local Law Enforcement'. "So… it's unfair that the media is making us look bad?" Alexis asked, frowning.

"YES!" Ari shrieked, slamming the paper down flat in her anger and caused everybody to jump at her sudden outburst. Riley, who had been planning to sit down between Ari and Marcia, suddenly changed his mind and moved around the table to sit on Alexis's left. Alexis suddenly felt a little claustrophobic, sitting between two declared enemies.

"Anything new? How's our president doing, recovering from his heart attack?" Riley asked, munching on some saltine crackers. "Or has he been attacked again by another nutcase?"

"Shut up or I'll ask Stryker to punch your face in… _literally_," Ari warned.

"She didn't mean that." Alexis said quickly, placing a restraining hand on Stryker's arm. He wrenched his arm away as though she had burned him. She stuck her tongue out at him when his head was turned for a few seconds, but immediately refocused on her lunch again when Stryker turned his head back around to face her.

"Let's see what's new hmmm?" Riley suggested, taking the paper from Ari. "Let's see… where is our good president going now?" Alexis felt Stryker pause, as though listening carefully. She realized that Riley was giving Stryker the desired second opportunity… possibly the last one he needed. To stop Riley, she placed a well-aimed kick to the shins with the heel of her boot, even though it hurt her knee slightly to bend her leg in that odd direction.

"Eep… ah…aha…ooowww," Riley moaned, dropping the newspaper onto the table and curling slightly to clutch his shins. Alexis sighed in relief as Stryker turned away in disinterest.

She didn't see Tyler snatch the paper.

"Eh, he's doing nothing big. The president is just going to Los Angeles for some big parade," Tyler said, shrugging as he tossed the paper over his shoulder where it fluttered to the ground.

Stryker didn't miss that. "Los Angeles… that is in California correct?" he asked, turning slightly to face Alexis expectantly.

Marcia sighed when Alexis made it clear that she wasn't going to answer. She never approved of the immature approach to the assignment Alexis had taken that morning, and most certainly didn't approve of it now. "Yes Stryker, the city is in southern California, near San Diego. It is the largest city in the state, even though Sacramento is the capital," Marcia told him.

_Thank you Marcia, Tyler. Thank you very much, _Alexis thought sourly.

Outward she plastered a fake smile onto her face, and in an attempt to divert the conversation, said, "So, Ari, what's going to happen to your video?"

Betrayed, Ari glared at her friend, and, after having submitted to the pestering of the others, grudgingly confessed to have recorded Riley earlier. This got Riley riled up, and a fight almost erupted, diffused only after Ari ran for her life with the video camera clutched in her hands, laughing the entire time. Alexis made a mental note to make up to her later. She didn't say another word as she got up and left the mess hall, Stryker in tow.

On the way, General Stanton passed them in the corridor as she walked in the opposite direction with Randall and Tom, and gave a small half-smile as they walked past each other. Alexis wondered what would happen if it had been Stanton faced with the evidence against Stryker, not her. Stanton probably would have calculated the best and satisfying way to expose Stryker while accomplishing some other hidden agenda at the same time. That was Stanton, always hitting two birds with one stone with each strike. Alexis wondered if Oroville had been Stanton's first and only disgrace, her first missed strike, her only major error in her entire career. The woman was an enigma to everybody, including the family that she never spoke about. Her late husband was probably the only person ever able to decipher the meaning behind each statement. Even when facing the tribunal after Oroville, Stanton had been just as cryptic then as she was now.

Did she have an ulterior motive in mind when she allowed Stryker to stay, besides his perfect scores and despite his blatant disrespect? Alexis sincerely hoped she didn't.

"Don't you have a training seminar today?" she asked, suddenly remembering that Stryker was still following her, and that they were in the hangar. She also realized that they were both alone, with no potential witnesses around to keep her safe. She reached into her shirt pocket for her cell phone… just in case.

"No. Are you that eager to get rid of me?" he asked, eyes narrowing as he approached. She backed away, nearly bumping into his jet in the process. She moved so that she would walk underneath the wing instead.

"No… whoops!" she yelped as she slipped on something on the floor, falling backwards.

"I may have a low intelligence level, but you're the one with two left feet," Stryker growled, his impatience at her clumsiness clear.

"Ewww… what did I slip in?" she asked, careful not to touch the bright pink liquid on the floor. It coated her elbows and her upper back, but thankfully did not touch her skin or hair because the liquid, in her opinion, looked like it came out of Tyler's bag of pranks. Stryker didn't say anything helpful, just growled again and moved to the other side of the jet and out of sight. Alexis noticed that the puddle was actually forming underneath a small hole on the underside of the wing. "Stryker, you've got a leak of something here," she said, not caring whether he heard or not. "I'm going to go get cleaned up and get you some duct tape for that hole as a temporary repair."

"I can fix my own jet," he snapped.

"Congratulations. While you do that, _I'm_ going to go clean up before this pink stuff touches my skin. I'm not going to wait around for that to happen," she said, mimicking his snippy tone. She heard him follow her out of the hangars and into the main corridor.

"See if I care whether that hurts you or not," Stryker snapped, clearly unhappy with having to follow her around all day. "This is one of those times I wish I could just… _kill_ you."

She knew he was not speaking figuratively or in jest. She didn't care either way. "That's okay, I reached that point _days_ ago," she retorted, and walked a little faster to maybe discourage him from pursuing the topic further.

She let out a yelp as Stryker snatched her shoulder, forcefully turned her around to face him, and then slammed her against the wall with surprising strength. "Yes, you may want to kill me, but we both know that I am the only one between us who will actually carry out that threat once you are vulnerable, and that is when your precious general is incapable of doing anything to protect you," he snarled, his low voice making his threat even more dangerous. "The moment the general is out of the way, the moment you expose one weakness, will be your last. Do you understand me perfectly?"

"General Stanton won't stand for this," Alexis said through gritted teeth. "I'm not scared of you, Stryker Davis. You're just a man, and nothing but." She leaned forward slightly and hissed, "I've had to deal with men like you all through my _life_, not just my job. I'm used to this. So I say again, you do not scare me." She hoped her thumping heart was not about to betray her.

"Really?" he said in his low voice, barely feeling her ineffective struggles against his grip.

"Sta…Stryker!"

Stryker rolled his eyes in anger and snarled in his throat as he released her from his grip. Alexis saw a tall man standing there, wearing the plain gray uniform of the security personnel. He had black hair, a black mustache and a distinctive fair face, and even though Alexis was pretty sure she'd never seen him around in the base, she knew she'd seen him before somewhere else. A silver and blue boombox was sitting at his feet. The guard looked curiously at her first before turning to Stryker, frowning slightly.

"Friend of yours?" she asked sarcastically, noticing this.

"Why would that concern you?" he snapped back, his temper suddenly somewhat cooled compared to earlier when he had her pressed against the wall.

"Excuse me… am I interrupting something?"

Alexis was immensely grateful to see Rad there, who was puzzled at the sight of the altercation he had just walked into. His eyes darted from Stryker to the security guard to her and then back to Stryker, who scowled.

"Um, I actually need to go back to my room, and get cleaned off. I slipped in some of Tyler's goo," Alexis quickly said, attempting to diffuse the situation.

"Perhaps the general's idea is wrong and you two do need separation time," Rad remarked, eyeing Stryker's dark expression.

"That would be preferable," Stryker agreed, glaring at both him and the guard, who was watching the exchange with keen interest. "Perhaps we can try again tomorrow."

"Don't count on it," Alexis muttered under her breath as Rad walked with her down the side hallway away from the other two men. "Jerk."

"So, what exactly did you slip in?" Rad asked, eyeing the pink stuff that was still coating much of her back.

"Who knows? Something Tyler probably came up with… although it was leaking out of Stryker's F-22," Alexis said, shrugging. She fell silent until she was sure that Rad wouldn't ask any more pressing questions. Then she discreetly slowed her pace so that she was behind Rad before she pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and pressed the OK button in the center of the ring of buttons near the top of the keypad. The video stopped recording, and she pressed a couple of more buttons to replay the video from where she started it, at the point where she first realized that she and Stryker were alone in the hangar.

The picture quality was terrible, but she didn't care. It was the audio that she wanted, the recorded transcript of Stryker's threat about finishing her off. The audio was mercifully crystal clear. She now had one piece of evidence that would probably be crucial in saving her life and the general's life later.

She also needed to figure out where she had seen the security guard before.

-------------

A/N: So I'm back, exams are over (yes!) and things start to get interesting. Thank you for being so patient! :) Also, in case somebody isn't familiar with the game 'Momentum Fish', it is usually played informally when people are going up on stairs or, (preferably for safety reasons) a hill. Person A lags behind Person B, and then A will put a hand on B's shoulder and pull themselves forward, using the momentum to get up the incline further. Person B of course is pushed far behind and will end up having to make up for lost distance. It's actually entertaining to watch and participate in (I think).


	16. MIA

Chapter Sixteen

M.I.A.

"I tell you. This thing is dead," Riley said, holding up the strip of chicken from his plate. It dangled limply from his fork. "They killed it ages ago."

"Yeah, how else would they feed it to you? Now, shut up, stop playing with your food, and eat the damn thing," Ari snapped as Alexis wrinkled her nose in disgust. Riley made a few grumbling sounds before reluctantly going back to his lunch. Without looking up, Ari continued, "No Alexis, I haven't seen Stryker at all today, so don't think of asking."

"Yeah, we should all be grateful that Davis went AWOL today. He was starting to tick me off more than usual. Did anybody see how touchy he was last night before bed? You figured Preston had stabbed him with a fork or something," Riley said, poking the chicken.

Alexis winced. Was it that obvious that she was fretting over Stryker's disappearance too much? No one had seen him since downtime last night, when he was apparently repairing the hole in the jet's wing. This information came from Marty, who had wandered into the senior pilots' hangar by accident the night before on his way to the bathroom. After breakfast this morning, she had asked around, looking for him. She ended up having to sacrifice a bit of her pride and dignity when she had to lie about the reason she wanted to see him, saying that she missed him and desired his company. In reality, she knew that if she kept an eye on him, he couldn't do anything threatening to the president. The president himself was scheduled to speak later this afternoon to the citizens of Los Angeles, and, if Stryker's plans were anything to go by, Alexis had a sneaking suspicion that the Vice President in Washington DC would suddenly find himself holding the reins of power by the day's end if Stryker was successful.

"Why do you hang around him anyway, besides the fact that the general told you to? I would have ditched him first chance, general or no general. I thought you guys hated each other a lot," Ari observed, lowering her voice so Riley couldn't catch on to the discussion topic.

"We do. I just think he's in cahoots with the crazy cop from Mission City, the one you particularly hate so much, and I also think they're up to something big. As in, national – level big and just as dangerous," Alexis admitted in a low voice. Ari was in this as much as she was, so it was only fair to be honest with her… to a certain extent. Ari's mouth wasn't exactly hardwired to her brain the proper way, and she blurted things out before thinking. Alexis beckoned her to lean closer, so that they were leaning across the table to carry on the private conversation.

Ari was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Do we need to do research into Davis, as in detailed research?" she whispered back.

"Only the general has the records that can help us with that," Alexis reminded her. "Everything is password-protected, remember Ari?" Ari's hurt expression then reminded Alexis that 'password-protected' and 'Ari Aliskevicz' didn't belong into the same sentence unless there was a negative before the 'password-protected'. Nothing was generally safe around Arianna.

"What are we whispering about?" Tyler whispered loudly, rudely butting into the conversation. Ari growled and shoved him away roughly with one hand, never breaking eye contact with Alexis. Tyler let out a yelp and fell backwards off his seat as she shoved him and landed onto the ground with a groan.

"So what is the plan?" Ari asked, bringing Alexis's attention back to her.

"Maybe later, when Riley isn't so close. I don't want him to get involved," Alexis muttered back. They both turned to watch Riley switch his chicken with Marcia's sub… without Marcia knowing of course. He immediately dug in, making a sound of satisfaction with each bite. The more he could eat, the less there would be when Marcia finally realized that her lunch had been stolen and attempt to reclaim it back.

"It's going to be bloody when the new team captain is selected. Stryker has the necessary maturity for the job, but Riley has the seniority," Ari said, speaking in a normal volume now, leaning back and eyeing Riley. "It may come down to who is the better flier in the squadron. Now _that _will be something to watch."

"Yeah, but the general gets last say in the end," Alexis reminded her.

"Speak of the devil, and it shall appear," Ari said, gesturing to another part of the mess hall. Alexis turned in her seat and watched as Stanton sat down at another table with her mini-entourage of officers in tow. Both Randall and another officer were talking to her, and her eyes were flickering between the two of them. She was shaking her head in disagreement, using sharp hand gestures to put emphasis on whatever she disliked. By the look of things, Stanton was probably going to be stuck there for a while, longer than she would have preferred.

It was time then. "Ari," Alexis asked, catching her friend's attention. "Do you remember the prank we pulled in Washington DC last year, the one we used Simmons in?"

"The one with the remote-controlled cars? Yeah," she said, drawing the last word out. She grinned, and said, "I think Simmons was cursing us and our ancestors for weeks after that. Of course, we did do it with the general's blessing, although I don't think she knows she gave it to us, since it was in the form of her passwords and a few um, _borrowed_ stuff. I wonder if we ever gave her back her car keys… I don't think we did…"

"I was more interested in her passwords. Please tell me we still have those," Alexis interrupted.

Ari chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, and was silent for so long that Alexis began to fear that the answer was 'no'. Finally, as if not to accidentally catch Riley's attention, Ari slowly and quietly said, "Technically, we don't have the passwords anymore… since the general discovered we had them when she caught Riley hacking into Pentagon network. So then she changed them, but _I_ sweet-talked one of the data analysts, Glen Whitmann into getting me her new passwords in case we needed to use them again." She frowned and paused in her narrative as a memory occurred to her. "The passwords cost me about a dozen jelly doughnuts. I got them from Rosie and stuck them into an empty Sugar Cream Delights box." She looked at Alexis and said, "If you ever see Whitmann, don't you dare tell him I did that."

Alexis sighed and then nodded her assent. Then she whispered, " How much are you going to charge for them?"

"Well, I kind of owe you for having the truck handy when I needed it most in Mission City, so I guess I can give them to you for free," Ari replied. She pulled out a pen from her pocket, and took Tyler's clean napkin from his place. She scrawled the passwords and their functions onto the napkin and passed it to Alexis. "Just destroy it when you're done with it. The less evidence lying around, the better."

"I owe you," Alexis muttered as she took the napkin and stuffed it into her pocket. Standing up, she said, "I'm going to have to use her office while she's still here, so do you think you could keep her distracted and away from there for a couple of hours?"

Ari stared at her. "How?"

"I don't know, start a food fight or something. Just wait to start until after I leave the mess hall please."

Ari nodded, a sudden gleam present in her eye. She casually leaned to her right and whispered, "Hey Riley…"

Meanwhile, Alexis casually threw her trash away and placed her tray in the appropriate bin. She'd lied to Stanton that morning and said that Stryker was sick and she wasn't allowed to see him. Very familiar with Doctor Sasquatch's touchy nature, Stanton easily swallowed the lie and said that she was relieved of her assignment just for today. Even still, Alexis felt a twinge of guilt every time she saw Stanton or thought about the lie.

Her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty metallic corridor, and she felt slightly like a criminal, skulking and sneaking along while plotting to break into the general's most private records. She refused to think about what the consequences would be if Toni Stanton caught her in the office on the computer without permission.

The first password on the sheet got her into the office. Alexis shut and locked the office door behind her. After a moment's thought, she changed the password, just as a security measure. Stanton's attempts to get into her own office would be Alexis's warning that the general was back.

Alexis crossed the carpeted floor and sat in the general's padded rolling chair. She noticed with some mild curiosity that a few of the photographs on the desk were turned down, but it was politeness that prevented her from lifting them to see what was being hidden. Instead, she focused on the login screen before her. The next two passwords got her in, and she was staring at the desktop within minutes. She admitted she was a little disappointed when she saw it. She thought that for such an ambitious woman, Stanton had a rather plain desktop, with the applications lining the bottom of the screen and four items on a navy blue background that contained the U.S. Air Force logo. The items on it were the hard drive, a folder labeled 'Reginald Simmons', a second folder labeled 'Area 51' and a third folder labeled 'Miscellaneous'. Alexis snorted; Stanton definitely had her priorities straight.

Alexis clicked on the 'Area 51' folder. The only item inside was the logbook, the real brains of the operation here at the government base. Password Number Four got her into the logbook, where she found all information pertaining to the base. The label 'Mission City' caught her attention, but she knew she had limited time to get her job done. She found the '401st' folder, and clicked on it. After that, she found the list of pilots, and clicked on 'Stryker Davis'. To her satisfaction, all his records and personal history was there. To her disgust after skimming through the information, he apparently had led the most perfect life so far… too perfect in fact, to be real.

She frowned to herself. Life was usually this perfect in childhood stories, not in real life. According to his personal history, he had two other brothers, also in military service, and pair of parents who were rather successful in their careers and were well known. The problem (aside from the fact she had never heard of his parents before) here was that there was no blemish in the story. No one _she_ knew got off that easy.

Alexis clicked on the link that said 'MILITARY RECORD'. Before she could continue reading however, a window unexpectedly popped up, announcing that the base surveillance and alarm systems had been reset at midnight the night before. Annoyed, she closed the window and went back to reading. To her disappointment, his military records were just as clean as his history. Even _her_ record wasn't this clean, for it was spotted by several cases of reported disobedience.

She was about to leave the page when the words 'Mission City' caught her attention. Pressing her lips together, she clicked on the link, and was led to another page. This page consisted mostly of photographs, all in color except for two or three. Most looked were of bad quality, as if they had been taken in a rush. Alexis also noticed the captions that were typed in underneath most of the photographs.

The first was of a boy, a civilian by the looks of his clothing. He was carrying a dull-metallic cube in his arms, looking over his shoulder at something behind him. She recognized him as the grimy teen from Mission City, the yellow Camaro owner. The caption underneath labeled him as 'Samuel James Witwicky', and there were a few notations of current information about him underneath the name. Alexis frowned as another thought occurred to her. Hadn't Stryker accused somebody named Samuel James Witwicky as a suspect in the terrorist attack? She shook her head absently as she studied the photograph next to Sam's. It was a newspaper from the New York Journal, with a picture of a man and strange inscriptions on the front page. Beneath those two, was a photograph of a girl, the same teen Tyler had tried to flirt with in Mission City, and she was sitting in what looked like a tow truck of some kind. Her caption read 'Mikaela Banes', and there were also notations on her current information. The photograph next to Mikaela's was one of William Lennox side-by-side with his old time pal Sergeant Robert Epps, but the disturbing fact was that it was Mission City in the background, and they were both wielding large rifles.

Alexis found herself growing more and more nervous as she looked at the next set of photographs. These were aerial shots of something on the ground, something the general had circled in red. Next was a shot of an oncoming F-22, weapons blazing. Alexis gulped when she recognized the burned streak mark on the F-22's nose; Stryker's jet had the same streak on the nose too. He _had_ been at Mission City, whether he said otherwise or not.

The caption said that the photograph of the F-22 came from Captain Thompson's onboard camera, moments before the captain crashed.

Her unease multiplied when she saw the next two photographs. The first one was of a giant metallic humanoid thing climbing one of the buildings in Mission City. Right next to it was the only surviving photograph of Sector Seven's secret project they'd found in Oroville. Dubbed the 'Metal Man' by Tyler, it had haunted Alexis in her sleep for months afterwards. Unfortunately, Alexis could see the similarities between the two photos right away.

Did the general honestly think Stryker was involved in all this somehow? What was she thinking when she allowed Stryker to stay here, even after seeing these photographs? Alexis cringed at her next thought; what if General Stanton was as insane as everybody thought?

"It was not my fault! It's Riley's!"

"That is why you are _both_ being punished. So neither potential perpetrator escapes."

Alexis's head snapped up at the approaching voices and footsteps. Damn, she'd completely forgotten about Stanton. Panicking, she logged out of the logbook, closed the folder window. Then she quickly logged out of the general's computer account.

_-Access Denied- _a soft voice chimed from within the walls.

"What the hell?" she heard Stanton mutter outside the door. Then she heard, "Arianna, you have approximately two minutes to explain yourself."

"I didn't do anything, honest!" Ari whined.

At this point, Alexis had left the general's desk and had melted into the shadows in the corner of the room, just as the door to the office opened. Alexis quickly bit her tongue... hard; the general was coated in food, mostly sticky stuff, like salad dressing and sauces. Stanton's hair was worse off; it had fallen out of its bun and was now a messy ponytail. There were random pieces of lettuce also stuck in her hair as well. Ari was beaming despite the fact that she was in heaps of trouble and covered in bits and pieces of pie, chicken, cupcakes, and other random foods. While the general's back was still turned, Alexis snuck along the wall and then slipped out the door and darted down the corridor. She figured she was safe when she was out of view of the general's office.

The digital clock in her room read 4:25. There was enough time to grab a nap before dinner. She stared up at the bunk above her after flopping onto the bed unable to sleep. She was now at the figurative junction, the last chance to bow out of the mess and let someone else handle it. The general seemed to have a pretty good idea on what was going on, and had enough experience to deal with it decisively and effectively. Alexis wondered why she wasn't brave enough to ask Stryker herself. She frowned as another thought occurred to her. What if she was just overreacting? Maybe Stryker was just reacting to the negative environment he had entered, and she had failed in her duty as his partner by not helping him adjust to life Area 51.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing she knew, Marcia was gently shaking her awake for dinner. She washed her face in the bathroom at the end of the hall and put a hairband in after taking the ponytail out. She then followed Marcia to the mess hall.

To her shock, the entire place was packed. Everyone from the janitors to the general, were focusing on the TV screen that was on one of the walls. Alexis could only see images of destruction and rescue vehicles… similar to the 9/11 news stories. The frustrating thing was that neither Alexis nor Marcia could hear very well; the people were talking around them, and the maximum level on the television wasn't loud enough to carry throughout the hall.

"What is going on?" Alexis whispered.

"I do not know." Marcia whispered back, "Perhaps somebody can explain."

"Uh…it's…Mission City…eee…The Sequel" Tyler announced, grunting as he tried to squeeze through the wall of people. Ari appeared behind him, clean now. She looked troubled.

"Los Angeles got trashed today during the speeches. The government confirmed it's the same guys from Mission City. The president was nowhere near; he made a last-minute decision when his six-year old daughter was diagnosed with a severe illness back in DC and so he went back home to be with her because everybody was saying that she was going to die, and the president wanted to be with her just in case. The VP filled in for him in LA, but the VP is okay too," Ari said grimly. She looked at Alexis and asked, "Did you accomplish what you needed to get done?"

Alexis nodded, and asked, " Who's in charge of clean-up?"

"General Stanton volunteered, but Keller turned her down. Agent Tom Banachek has been assigned clean-up duty." Ari said quietly as people began leaving the mess hall. Stanton was among the first ones out. Ari waited until the two of them sat down at dinner with everyone else, before speaking.

"Alexis, our cop friend was on the news. He attempted to destroy the presidential platform. Then he got away."

"Well, he's probably the most wanted man in America right now," Alexis remarked. "Why weren't reinforcements called in?"

"The fight started and ended too quickly for them to call in reinforcements. The bad guys also had a smaller group than last time." Ari muttered. "At least that is what Zachariah was telling Randall earlier." Alexis nodded in acknowledgement and continued eating her sandwich.

"Nobody move," Riley suddenly warned. "Charlie is out and about."

Alexis groaned with everybody else. A couple years back, a truck with supplies came down from Detroit, Michigan. The unexpected hitchhiker was an orphaned baby raccoon. Riley, a rookie at the time, instantly adopted the animal and named it Charlie. Later, he lied to Stanton and said he'd released it back into the wilderness. In reality however, he kept it hidden in the base, where it continued to be a thorn in Stanton's side ever since she discovered that the animal was still there.

"Come to Papa," Riley cooed as the raccoon waddled over, its paunch swinging from side to side as it walked over to them. Riley grunted as he picked up the fat raccoon. "Good God, you've gotten heavier," Riley said, allowing Charlie to lick his face. Riley continued chatting as Charlie leaned over to sniff Alexis's food.

"Riley, how do you know that fleabag doesn't have rabies?" Ari asked, eyeing the pair of them.

Riley shrugged. "Just luck I guess," he answered.

"Well, I don't think the general would miss you too much if you died of rabies. In fact, Tom would hail Charlie as a hero and we'd all worship him on a food-laden altar," Ari said, grinning now. "You know, the general is offering three thousand for Charlie's pelt."

"My money," Tyler muttered, earning a cuff to the neck from Riley.

None of them were ready for what happened next.

Charlie leaned closer, and suddenly snatched Alexis's sandwich off her plate.

"Hey, come back with that!" Alexis shouted as Charlie bolted away towards the mess hall doors. Gunshots followed it as Tom opened fire on the animal with his rifle, and chaos ensued. Alexis managed to get out of the mess hall through the confusion.

She panted as she ran to catch up with the raccoon, and grinned nastily when she saw a ringed tail disappear around the corner into the hangar. She snuck into the hangar and quietly began searching for the pesky animal.

A skittering nearby caught her attention. _I got you now_, she thought victoriously. To be easier on Riley, she decided she would make Charlie's death quick and painless. She darted around the crates, ready to strike.

She stopped short when she met Charlie's big brown eyes. All her anger at him just vanished, and she sighed. Charlie had that charm-like ability to soften anybody up, excluding Stanton and Tom of course.

"You've got it better than me, you know," she told him, sitting down and relaxing against a crate. "All you've got to worry about is Tom's rifle and where your next meal is coming from. _I've _got worry about a terrorist conspiracy, a temperamental commanding officer, and a partner who is crankier that Aunt Matilda during allergy season."

Charlie just made a few chittering sounds and then continued eating the remnants of her dinner.

A groan suddenly echoed throughout the cavernous room, and Alexis tensed, guessing that it could only be Stryker returning from his excursion into Los Angeles. She decided to just chill out behind the crates until _after_ Stryker left the hangar to go to dinner. So she listened as the hangar doors closed, and then there was a loud whirring sound as gears shifted places and there was also the creak of shifting metal. Alexis snorted; she could only imagine what Stryker was doing.

It suddenly became very quiet right in the hangar. Alexis guessed that Stryker was now done with whatever he had been doing and that it was safe to come out. "All right, up you go," she said, heaving Charlie up, and she staggered under the raccoon's massive weight. She would hand him off to Riley that evening, just to show him that the raccoon was safe. She walked around the pile of crates and into view.

She didn't get very far.

Alexis froze when she saw a giant metal monstrosity standing right in her way. She swore to herself that she hadn't seen that on her way in, and then slowly looked up towards the ceiling, a sickening feeling growing in her stomach. Her concerns with Stryker took a backseat in her mind as she took a few steps back so she could look straight at the top. The metallic body seemed intact except for the mangled claw-like hands and burned torso.

She swore that… the _thing_ had scarlet eyes, and was staring right back at her.

----------------

A/N: Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think! Oh, and in case anybody is wondering, M.I.A. stands for 'Missing In Action'.


	17. Discovery

Chapter Seventeen

Discovery

Alexis wasn't too sure how long she'd stood there, gaping at the red… _eyes_ of this thing. She was sure that if was fear that kept her in place, locking her legs in place and bubbling up in her chest. Then, very slowly, she took two, three steps back, careful not to make any sharp movements that would undoubtedly snap the tension that was slowly building up between them.

Snapping tension would not be very good. It almost always resulted in violence.

Charlie on the other hand, had had enough of this act between the human and alien. He was still hungry and human was placing too much pressure on his fat stomach. Turning his head around, the raccoon leaned to the left where Alexis's hand was holding him by the shoulders, and bit down… _hard._

Alexis yelped in surprise and dropped the raccoon, looking down at the raccoon's descent as she clutched her bleeding hand. She fumed over the potential consequences of a wild animal bite, but that quickly became the least of her problems when she heard a faint whine of an engine or a weapon from overhead. Her head snapped up and she backed away slightly as she stared at the giant cannon-like weapon that was aimed directly at her face. It was kind of stupid of her to assume that a metallic creature this size was completely defenseless, and it appeared she was going to pay for that mistake.

Her brain told her it was time to run, but her legs remained locked in place. She only moved when the _thing_ made a snarling sound, snapping her out of her fear-induced state. It snarled even louder when she darted to the left for the doors that led out of the hangar and into the main corridor. Her two-second head start was almost useless because the metallic monstrosity easily moved around her and blocked the exit with a hand. She managed to stop herself by skidding on the floor before she slammed into the sharp metal edges.

Backpedaling now, Alexis tried to calculate the advantages and disadvantages of her situation as she also tried to focus on the position of her giant opponent. She had to even up the playing field a bit somehow, to turn this confrontation in her favor. Her small height may be her only advantage here; the claws looked too long to easily pick things up off the floor if the object was lying flat.

She jerked to the right a little just as the thing lunged at her again. The thing's bulk was _huge_; it was a wonder how it had managed to stay hidden without the aid of Sector Seven. The metal being from Oroville had been hidden courtesy of Sector Seven, but now that the group had been disbanded, where had this guy been camping out until he arrived to Area 51? She added that to the growing list of questions she would ask it – him, if he ever calmed down enough to have a civilized conversation.

A brief thought flitted across her mind. How exactly did Beowulf defeat Grendel in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem? She would have paid more attention in her English class during freshman year if she'd known it would help her a little in the future against a gigantic moving piece of metal that _clearly _wasn't one of Riley's wacky inventions.

_Focus Alexis!_ She mentally lectured herself as the creature's next swipe came too close for comfort… close enough for the tips of the claws to rip straight through her fatigues and reveal a bit of the white T-shirt she usually wore underneath. If she didn't get moving, the next swipe would undoubtedly injure her, if it didn't kill her. She could worry about petty details later. First she had to get out of the boxed corner she had accidentally gotten herself into. She paused as a plan occurred to her.

It was insane. It was stupid. If she didn't time this right, she was going to be swept up into the air and plastered into the opposite wall and it would be game over for good.

Tom might've liked her plan. He always liked insane and stupid things.

She ducked down as the next swipe came, this time the claws raked across the crate she was backed up against. At that second, she darted forward and successfully dashed in between the creature's legs, a loud echoing roar of fury following in her wake. The huge shadow on the shiny floors was her only warning of the impending barrier of its hand. She attempted to stop by using her left foot as an impromptu break, attempting another skid.

By all rights, the skidding should have worked… it had in the past. But her foot slipped on something on the floor and she ended up on her face on the floor. Somewhere up above, there was the sound of air escaping vents of some kind, and she instinctively knew that the thing was amused by her antics and was laughing. How primitive… and embarrassing. She silently thanked God that nobody else was in here to witness her clumsiness… she'd never hear the end of it. Again, _if_ the creature didn't kill her later, she'd probably make him swear never to tell anybody what had happened in this hangar.

Picking herself up, Alexis realized that there were little pink droplets of liquid _everywhere_. There were even a few droplets that were smeared on the floor where she had slipped. Of course, she didn't have long to puzzle over what the liquid might be, for she heard gears grinding above her as the creature dove for another attack, its scarlet eyes suddenly blazing. The eyes were screaming '_murder_' and were probably the one thing that was frightening her the most at the moment.

Alexis scampered off in the opposite direction for the fire exit, terrified now. If she really had to, she could just pull the fire alarm… and tell Stanton some logical excuse. However, she was warned of an oncoming threat by the feeling of rapidly approaching heat. She had the sense to drop to the floor again just as the small missile soared overhead and smashed into a large crate stack, causing the pile to topple over and block off the fire exit… effectively cutting off her escape route. To make the situation a smidge worse, there was a loud _bang_ as the firecrackers inside were ignited and set off. Alexis stayed low and covered her ears as the room around her shook violently.

Then everything stilled.

For a few moments, the only sounds in the hangar were the crackling of the flames from the crates and Alexis's own thudding heartbeat. She hesitated, and then twisted around to face the creature. She suddenly didn't know whether to cry out in relief or laugh out loud at its predicament. It was shaking off a few thin metal beams off its head. The beams were from the rafters, and she guessed that they had been unable to take the force of the blast.

It was a miracle that Stanton hadn't heard all this and come to investigate.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Alexis scuttled behind a nearby F-22 and pulled out her cell phone. She leaned over and attempted to snap a photograph, but to her dismay, the photo came out in bad quality. Eh, might as well keep what little 'evidence' she had.

Alexis tensed when she heard the creature prowling around the room. There was no doubt that it was searching for her. She hated to think of what would become of her if it discovered her here. She suddenly had a vision of the creature towering over her, throwing the F-22 that was her cover against the wall and then he would crush her into a bloody mass in his metallic fist. It was too bad that a decent drill and a blowtorch were useless against this thing… she knew where to find those items.

There was suddenly the grinding of gears again, and then all was quiet again. Risking everything, Alexis quietly peeked around to get a better view of the area.

She noted with shock that the giant metal creature was gone. Instead, there were four F-22s neatly lined up on one side, and four F-22s neatly lined up on her side of the hangar. She saw the crate pile with its dying fire by the fire escape, pink stuff everywhere on the floor, a pile of metal beams near one of the F-22s, and a few good-sized dents marring the floor's silver surface. Alexis blinked; there was no way she could have possibly imagined that all happening. Frowning slightly, she got up and left the safety of her hiding spot as her curiosity ruled over common sense.

The fire crackled softly as she walked in the middle of the two rows of jets. What made her nervous was the fact that the creature just…vanished, without a trace. Plus, there was the nagging sense that an unseen predator was closely observing her. She studied the eight jets, her nerves mounting as time passed with nothing happening. She finally turned to the last F-22 in line on the right side, the one that was clearly banged up the most. She figured she would make a run for it after this one.

Tom once told her that fear could kill a man, despite what some psychologists said otherwise. Fear was what kept people rooted in place as death came hurtling straight towards them. As with everything he said to her when she was a rookie, she didn't believe him, but she sure did now.

As she turned to face the last F-22, she could only stand and stare in horror as the jet _leapt forward_ and did something else at the same time. The wings folded back as plates slid forward while gears changed positions, and suddenly the giant metal _monster _from before was right in her face… at her level. Before she could react, a claw-like hand closed in around her, encasing her in darkness.

The darkness was suffocating. She was rendered blind and deaf at once, arms pinned against her sides. She couldn't move, couldn't scream. She was helpless, and she _hated _feeling this way. It was as though she was surrendering and giving all the power to the victor.

Alexis cried out when sparks suddenly flew, zapping exposed skin. A deafening roar from above reverberated around her prison, and she was unexpectedly released, landing on the floor with an audible _thump_. She saw Charlie's tail briefly before it disappeared in a hole in the hangar wall, a thick black cable disappearing with the fat raccoon.

She looked up at the creature to see more sparks flying from its claws. Hmmm, maybe Charlie was useful for something other than chewing through computer network cables. Of course, the missing cable and raccoon only enraged the creature even more, and she was left as the only moving object to vent its anger out on.

Alexis stood up and tried to run for the door again, but the creature either had no patience left or had lost interest in the game, for he slammed a fist onto the ground, creating a depression into the floor. She slipped from the force of the blow and slid into the depression. She immediately stood up and tried to escape that, but creature was faster and formed another tight fist around her body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as the floor suddenly vanished to a mere backdrop as the creature lifted its fist to raise her up to its face. She struggled to move as her freedom of movement became more and more restricted. To her fury, her arms were tightly pinned to her side, but she grew more panicked when she felt the claws restricting her chest movement as well, and there was pain as her ribs began to constrict as well. Her face scrunched up as she gritted her teeth in pain. Other than that, she refused to show any other signs of pain; to do so would be giving him what he wanted.

"Okay, okay! I get it, I get it, you win," she managed to wheeze out. "That's tight enough! You can stop squeezing me now! _Stop!_"

"I do not take orders from fleshlings!" the thing snarled, its voice deep with a metallic ring to it. There was a faint tone of raspiness on the edges as a snarl echoed throughout its throat.

Alexis blinked, her pain momentarily forgotten. Fleshling? Where the heck did that come from? She tried wiggling out of the grip, but only was able to move her head. Everything else was stuck fast. "Please," she finally whispered. "Please you're hurting me. Please just loosen up a bit… it hurts me when you hold me that tight."

To her immense relief, the creature loosened its grip albeit by a fraction. Alexis now had a little more room for maneuvering, but more importantly had more room for breathing. Her ribs ached slightly with each breath and she quietly decided to go see the doctor after this… assuming the creature would allow her to live after this.

"It is interesting to see how much trouble _one_ fleshling can cause. I noticed the amount varies," the creature observed, turning her slightly in its grip as though to get a better view. "You were harmless to me at first, but then you became an obstacle in _my _plans when you and Aliskevicz stopped the death of your leader. Then you inched down a bit in my toleration levels. Then you were daring enough to not only hinder my plans, but also _humiliate _me yesterday."

It took Alexis a few minutes to process the creature's accusations. "What are you talking about?" she finally demanded. "Stryker is the one who hates me for all that. You too big to…_uhh_…antagonize easily. I would remember if I saw a giant…_uhh_… robot somewhere," she continued, grunting as she struggled to wiggle out of its grip.

She swore the creature looked bored at her attempts at escape. Pathetic.

"I am trying to decide whether you humans are slow or just plain stupid." The creature remarked thoughtfully. When she didn't immediately respond, the creature sighed and there was a clicking sound as gears shifted. "This would count as a moment of weakness, Alexis Preston," it finally said it Stryker Davis's voice, which ironically enough was eerily similar to the creature's original voice.

Alexis was quiet as the pieces linked together in her head. Stryker's bizarre behavior, his threats and strength the assassination attempts, the Mission City files, the damages on Stryker's F-22, the pink puddle… oh damn, she was in trouble. She thought she was playing with fire with a temperamental man, but in reality she was playing with a temperamental giant, and she just got burned. This thing was Stryker Davis, although _how_ was what she didn't understand. He knew that, and she knew that he knew, and there was now nothing she could do about it. This… _thing_ now held all the cards as well as her life. She winced as she heard her heartbeat quicken as the full impact of her situation sank into her brain. The screaming and running part would probably kick in as soon as she was placed on the ground… if he ever put her down.

This was the stuff of nightmares.

For a second, neither of them said anything. Then she asked through gritted teeth, "What makes you think that I won't go and tell about this as soon as I can? I've got the damned evidence."

"If you do that, not only will your evidence vanish, but your leader will suddenly find herself one pilot short of sixteen," the creature hissed, clearly ticked off with her. Well, she supposed that it wasn't the first time that happened.

"_Our_ leader dolt. Get it right, damn it. She'll notice then I'm gone and you'll be number one on the suspect list because she knows she placed us together… ah ah okay shutting up," Alexis snapped, cutting the insult off as the fist tightened a little more. She wouldn't be able to hand this treatment much longer.

"_Your_ leader. I have my own agenda that doesn't include listening to pathetic weaklings," the metallic creature hissed, revealing his jagged long teeth. Alexis shrank back from that sight; he could really kill her, and have no reservations about it. He was right yesterday when he said he would really follow through with his death threats, and that she wouldn't. "As for your leader," he continued, "if she proves to be a problem, well then, your military would be short one commanding officer then, although they probably wouldn't mind her disappearance. If they bother to carry out an investigation, they'll find that a certain F-22 pilot, Preston, was discontent with Stanton's rule and decided to kill her and then the pilot committed suicide to prevent capture."

Alexis gaped at him, stunned. He really would go ahead with the threat, and he probably had some super-technological advantage over them to erase any trace of his involvement. "No wonder your previous commander kicked you out; all threats and death, no respect, and one hell of an attitude problem," she snapped. She knew he had to have had a commander at some point; how else would he follow orders with a grimace but without a verbal complaint?

She unknowingly struck a nerve with that last comment. The pressure that held her prisoner suddenly increased and she strained to breathe. She froze in horror as a sharp pain appeared in her side. "Okay, okay you win again, sorry!" she gasped out and screamed slightly when she heard a faint _snap_ followed by a lance of pain that cut across the lower right side of her chest. She would definitely feel _that_ tomorrow morning.

Alexis suddenly felt the pressure vanish altogether, and then a _whoosh_ as she fell a short distance and crumpled upon impact on the cold metal floor. She lay in a heap while trying not to move so the pain could subside. The coldness from the floor seeped up through her torn clothing and soothed a little of the fire in her side. Through her hazy vision, Alexis watched as the metallic creature backed off and seemingly folded down on itself and turned into the harmless F-22 again, the almost flawless disguise. She liked him better this way; there was less damage he could do to her when he was a F-22.

She watched with slight shock as Stryker flickered into existence near her. How the hell did the creature do that? She watched with disinterest as 'Stryker' walked over to where she was lying on the floor. "I keep forgetting you humans are extremely fragile. It will be difficult to remember that," he said, picking her up and placed her in the bridal-style position.

"I hate you," Alexis muttered, loud enough for him to hear. "It's hard to picture you as a giant freakin' robot… ouch okay I'll be quiet!" she snapped when he applied pressure to the injury in her side. "What is your problem anyway? First you nearly try to kill me, now you're helping me… well?" she demanded when he didn't answer.

He didn't answer, but she did feel his hands relieve the pressure on her damaged rib. "Now I really hate you," she snapped. If she didn't feel this bad, she'd probably would have insisted on walking to the med wing on her own. But she couldn't only because she couldn't stand up with help. That was embarrassing.

"Oh, that's okay, I reached that point _days_ ago," he answered in a mocking tone repeating her remark from a few days ago. "I have to admit, that even for a human, you're amazingly persistent and observant. But we are going to have to establish a few ground rules while I am here. One, everything that transpired in the hangar stays between us. Two, everything I do outside the hangar is for keeping up appearances. If I slip on something, you are to correct the error and deflect the other pilots' attention from me. Finally, you are not to call me Stryker. I loathe anything that ties me to humans, and that includes the name."

"Then what do I call you? By your _real _name?" Alexis asked, working to get the hostility out of her voice.

"You would be unable to pronounce my name in my native tongue, however when translated into your language, my name would be Starscream. That stays between us, understand?" he hissed, his growing ire becoming apparent again.

"Yes… Your Majesty," Alexis muttered the last part, but she knew he heard and she really didn't care what he heard at this point. She decided that 'King Starscream' was a mouthful, but 'King Screamer' had a nice ring to it. It got the insult in without feeding his probably oversized ego. She choked to keep the giggles down, and winced at the pain in her ribs. Then she carefully composed her face so that Starscream wouldn't catch on to the fact she was mulling over nicknames to call him behind his back.

"The story is that you slipped on some oil in the hangar, and slid into some crates where Charlie attacked you because you had his food," Starscream grumbled so that she could barely hear. She wondered if he complained a lot… she hoped not.

"Speaking of stories, I've got a question. What's _your_ story about Mission City?" she asked. "Don't you dare deny you weren't there; I know where there is proof that you were," she warned, waggling her finger at him warningly.

He let out a hiss between his teeth and said, "Just to shut you up, I'll answer that question. He continued walking, and then spoke, "I was there fighting my enemies disguised as a F-22, especially when the humans on the ground caught on to what I was doing. Unfortunately, my comrade and I were targeting your squadron in the air when one of the pilots caught on to me and targeted me. As you probably saw already, I sustained some damage before retreating."

"So, you're going to dedicate the rest of your life hunting down the knucklehead who marred your perfect armor?" Alexis asked sarcastically, wincing again.

"Already found him. I'm surprised you never questioned my reasons for hating Mackerson, other than the fact he persists to be a pain in the aft," he said, smirking victoriously now.

Alexis didn't want to know how he knew it was Riley who dealt out the most damage to him. "What the hell were you doing in Los Angeles? _I_ had to cover for you went you went on your little trip," she demanded.

"Next time maybe," he said, kicking the med wing door open. He ignored the petite receptionist who was better suited to work at a lawyer's office than a doctor's office at a military base in the middle of the desert. He growled as the receptionist got up to stop him, but she slowly retook her seat after he walked into the doctors' rooms.

"I am not letting you off that easy," Alexis snapped as he put her down onto the examining table. "Stry… _Starscream_, I don't think you're going to continue this discussion."

"Ah, I guess humans are somewhat smart after all," he said, smirking. "As for now, good night I suppose." Before she could question what he was about to do, he placed his finger and thumb on her pulse points behind her jaw and applied pressure. Her last thought before passing out was that she was definitely going to kill him by dismantling him while he was in his jet form, and scattering the pieces all over the United States.

Yes, that sounded nice.

------------------

A/N: Was that too confusing to follow along? I have to apologize for the slower updates, but due to school and other commitments, I feel lucky enough to do every other week. Does every other week updates sound okay to you? If the chapters are ready before then, then I will get them up then. Until next time!


	18. Disarmament

Chapter Eighteen

Disarmament

"You look like hell," Ari observed. "Come to think of it, you've been looking that way for a couple of days now." She frowned, and then asked, "Are you fighting with Stryker or something?"

Alexis glared at her friend, and Ari took the hint to shut up. Alexis then went back to finishing breakfast, trying to ignore the person sitting next to her. Starscream (she refused to think of him as 'Stryker' anymore) was watching with some form of hidden amusement. She could see his infuriating smirk out of the corner of her eye, and it was starting to bug her. "What are you so happy about?" she finally demanded, her patience nearing its limit.

"There is to be an excursion into Mission City for everyone today," he began.

"Don't get hopeful Alexis. General Stanton specifically banned you, me, and Tyler from going because of what happened the _last_ time we went." Ari interrupted, standing up from the table. She winked and said "_I _particularly don't care because the psychopathic cop can't get me here."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Alexis snapped.

Ari put her hands up in a surrendering gesture before turning around and leaving the mess hall. Alexis however turned her attention back to Starscream, who was watching in mild amusement. "You were saying?" she asked through gritted teeth, trying to curb her growing temper.

"I was saying that since just about everybody will be gone, I will take this opportunity to recharge without interruption," he answered, standing up with her and then he followed her out the mess hall as he continued, "Yesterday's events wore me out, and I want you to make sure that _no one_ interrupts my recharge. Am I clear?"

"Yes Your Majesty," Alexis replied sarcastically. "So, while you get to sleep, I get to clean up pink goo that _mysteriously _appeared on the hangar floor last night?"

Starscream nodded. The mission outlines were clear, so he saw no reason for repetition of assignments. He was just a little suspicious of what the female would actually do while he recharged. She had yet to express her displeasure of his parting treatment of her last night, and humans were rather touchy about the way they were treated by others.

"What is that stuff anyway?" she suddenly asked, frowning slightly.

"Energon. It has a similar function to human blood. It sustains us and allows us to survive," Starscream answered, pausing to face her in the hall. She stared up at him, clearly gauging something with her eyes. He wondered if her mental calculations had anything to do with the major height difference between them, even in his hologram form.

"So… it is _not_ a good thing that you're leaking the stuff everywhere?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Would you like me to slit your arm so we can determine whether it's a good thing or not with a model you can understand?" he asked, mimicking her tone and facial expression. She scowled, and he mimicked her facial expression again, clearly enjoying himself. Angered, she moved to punch him in the side of the face, but he caught her wrist and pushed it in a horizontal direction. "Please behave; I do not want to have to explain a snapped wrist to your medic," he said patiently as if chastising a young child. He applied pressure again, and she tried not to cave into the pain, but miserably failed, twisting her body slightly so that the pain would be alleviated.

"I hope you go to hell someday, and I want to be the one to send you," Alexis snarled, yanking her arm away in an attempt to free her arm from his grip. To her surprise, he suddenly let go and she immediately collided into the wall. She gritted her teeth when her damaged middle hit the wall.

"I think there's already a line for that, but feel free to join," he said casually as he walked into the center of the hall, checking both ways to make sure it was clear to disappear. "Oh, and Alexis? Please try to find that slagging raccoon. I want that cable back soon," he said, and then immediately disappeared from sight.

"What am I, your servant?" Alexis demanded into the silence, and felt like an idiot when nobody responded. That was probably due to the fact that she was expecting a response.

Not even her old partner Stanley had aggravated her this much. Starscream was setting a new record.

For the first time in a while, Alexis found herself with a free day and nothing to do, for General Stanton had cleared her work assignments for the next few days. The base doctor, who said that Alexis should not do any strenuous work for the next couple of weeks in order to avoid stress to the broken ribs, had cowed the battle-hardened general into submitting to his wishes. So there was no way that some arrogant, egocentric alien was going to bully her into doing work when her own commander wasn't permitted to do the same.

First order of business was cleaning up the energon on the floor. If she didn't clean it up, one of two things could happen instead. One, Tyler would find it, and then cook up some way to exploit it to amuse himself since he was stuck inside all day. Option Two was that Stanton would find it, become suspicious, and then she would launch a more thorough investigation into Mission City, and Alexis wasn't sure how Stanton would react to having a gigantic alien robot housed under her own roof.

Alexis opened the cleaning closet, and pulled out the bucket and threw the necessary soaps into the empty bucket. Water was an item she could easily access in the hangar. As Alexis reached for the bleach, her hand brushed a metal toolbox, the one toolbox in the entire base that didn't have a blowtorch in it. Nevertheless, it did have a screwdriver, and Alexis knew that was enough to attempt to put the fear of God in Starscream. An idea occurred to her, and she snatched the toolbox, staggering under its weight. Then she shut the closet door with her foot and continued to the hangar.

To her mild surprise, someone had already gone through and cleaned up the crates and the metal beams, but there were faded pink stains dotting the floor. She would have to ask him how he had gotten wounded to the point where he was leaking everywhere… once she got over her fear of him. She paused momentarily to listen to the _drip, drip_ of escaping liquid. Starscream needed to take better care of him… if he truly cared; he would have done a decent patching job to the hole in the wing.

She walked over to the only banged-up jet in the hangar. If he didn't clean up those burn streaks, she might do it for him… just to prevent his capture. She didn't want to be implicated in anything if that happened, and knowing King Screamer, that was likely given his big mouth and his hatred of her.

She opened the toolbox and pulled out the roll of silver duct tape inside. She yanked out a lengthy piece, tore the strip off, and carefully applied it to the hole. That feat involved stretching, an action her healing ribs disliked. After wincing, she put the tape back and then approached the weapons on the F-22. Starscream was going to _hate_ her for this.

Armed with a power drill from the toolbox, Alexis began the long process of detaching the weapons from the jet. She didn't know exactly how many weapons Starscream had in his possession, but she was going to make him as less dangerous as possible, just while he was in Area 51. That way she could feel safer at night and sleep easier.

As each piece came off in her hands, she carefully carried it to the other side of the hangar, her ribs screaming in protest with each load. If Starscream wanted them bad enough, he could go and pick them up himself. She briefly contemplated on hiding the weapon pieces, but since getting killed during Starscream's interrogation wasn't on her list of must-do activities with the jet, she put the weapons on the opposite side of the hangar in an undignified pile instead.

Now she had to deal the energon on the floor.

She unscrewed the bottle cap of bleach and poured a bit onto the puddle. Placing the capped bottle onto Starscream's wing, she tossed a rag onto the mess and used her foot to attempt to scrub at it. She placed a hand against Starscream's side to brace herself while she 'cleaned'.

All she succeeded in doing was spreading the mess around and make it start fizzing.

Cursing in frustration, Alexis smacked her fist against the F-22. She swore she heard an irritated sigh come from it, and then was silent again. This was completely his fault. If he hadn't messed up her ribs, then she wouldn't have to struggle to clean a mess that _he _made.

Maybe she needed to _earn_ his respect in the same way he earned her fear. If that was the case, well, then she had a pretty good idea how to start.

She bent down and opened the toolbox, and rummaged around in it to find a black flashlight. Then she pulled the item out, shut the box, and then picked up the power drill again. The plan was to disable him, thus preventing him from transforming into his real form. That way, he would appear to her as a human, and then it would be easier to attempt a conversation as equals.

Alexis used the power drill to unscrew a panel underneath the nose of the jet, and then sighed with frustration. Jackson was the mechanic and saboteur of the squadron, not her. She just knew how to repair engine systems, quirks in the fuel lines or other minor stuff like that. Sabotage was a skill beyond her as well. Besides, she was technically staring into the tangled guts of an alien, not the interior mechanics of an F-22 Raptor jet.

Gross.

Carefully angling the power drill so that it wouldn't hit anything else, Alexis detached a small cable near the front. She did the same with three others, removing two. She was in the process of putting the two cables with the detached weaponry when it occurred to her that she might have just detached some critical life-system cables that Starscream neglected to mention when they were discussing energon earlier. She felt a small twinge of guilt as she walked back to deal with the energon puddle. His physiology was foreign to her; she probably killed him right then without knowing about it.

_If I did, then I can honestly say he went peacefully. _Alexis thought gloomily, trying to assuage the little guilt twinge.

She poured water onto the still-fizzing puddle and the fizzing thankfully stopped. Now she could pursue the rest of her day as she saw fit. First item on her agenda was fighting the doctor for a couple of painkillers. Her ribs were starting to hurt from the constant motion. After that, she planned on grabbing a mid-morning snack to satisfy her hunger, for it had been rather difficult to eat breakfast with the company that she had been stuck with. Starscream apparently killed appetites as well as people. Finally, assuming Starscream was indeed still alive and not too upset over the removed cables, she'd ask him why he didn't just heal himself. She wouldn't mind waking him up for that, although he might.

She left the hangar, unaware that a few lights on the control panel in the F-22 had flickered on.

Alexis ended up spending thirty minutes hassling with Doctor Sasquatch over the painkillers. He said she didn't need then because she was supposed to be resting, and she said that she had jarred her ribs during a trip to the restrooms. He ended up calling her bluff by pointing out a few oil stains she had acquired while working on Starscream. She may have gotten the medicine in the end, but the general was going to receive an earful about 'putting Alexis to work'. She felt the twinge of guilt return, but this time it was for Stanton rather than Starscream.

She wandered into the empty mess hall. The silence was only broken by the clattering in the kitchens as the ever-present kitchen crew worked on the future dinner. The chef Rosanna, (known as 'Rosie' to the base personnel) once told her that the crews worked on a different schedule than the base personnel, and therefore the mess hall was never really empty at any given time. Alexis felt a degree of safety in this room; Starscream wouldn't attempt to murder her here with witnesses so close. She found a half-eaten box of cookies on the counter, and she took the box to a nearby table. She settled down to eat, but first picked up a magazine from a nearby stack for reading while she ate.

She didn't have peace for very long.

Alexis flinched in shock as long fingers wrapped themselves tightly around her throat, easily cutting off her cry of surprise. She scowled when Starscream turned her around to face him. Of course it was he; no one else was psychotic enough to strangle a comrade from behind. Alexis found it rather difficult to decide whether she was relieved or disappointed to see that he was still alive after all. On one hand, she hadn't killed someone by accident, but on the other hand, he looked like he was fully prepared to murder her right here and now. Even as she thought of that possibility, Starscream's fingers flexed dangerously on her throat in a way that suggested he was toying with the same idea.

"Alexis?"

Starscream stiffened and turned his head towards the direction of Rosie's voice, which was coming from the kitchens. Alexis smirked; she knew he hadn't taken the kitchen staff into account when he came here to strangle her to death. Turning to face Alexis, Starscream hissed, "You will answer the woman, but do not even _hint_ that you're in trouble. If you do, it's her death on your conscience. Do you understand?" The last question was emphasized with a slight squeeze to Alexis's throat.

Alexis nodded stiffly, Starscream's hand restricting her movement. Starscream released her, the pressure swiftly vanishing from her neck. She swallowed to relieve the pain, and then called out, "Yes Rosie?" She winced at the scratchiness of her voice. She needed water.

"You okay girl? Sounded like a shriekin' mouse out there. Is Collins harassing you again? I got a ceramic rolling pin somewhere in here you can use to whack him with if you want."

"I'm fine aside from the usual aches and pains. Don't worry, I haven't seen Tyler at all today apart from breakfast." Alexis called back, assuaging Rosie's fears.

There was a moment of silence, and then Rosie yelled back, "Is it the Davis boy then? I thought he went to Mission City with the rest of the rookies. I guess he didn't. You can still borrow the rolling pin if you want."

"You have no idea how much I want to take you up on that offer," Alexis muttered, watching a flash of anger cross Starscream's holographic face. She took a deep breath before calling back, "Eh, no thanks Rosie. I might borrow it another time, when Davis isn't so inflated by his own ego. That way, it hurts more."

"Girl, if you want to hurt his ego, you hurt him now."

"Thanks Rosie, I'll keep that in mind. Uh, I kind of have to check on a few things right now. I'll see you at dinner," Alexis said, watching Starscream's facial expressions. His expressions twisted from anger to irritation and back again, and it was actually amusing to watch the transitions.

"Don't let Davis bully you around girl."

"Don't worry about that Rosie. Later." Alexis said, getting the one-word farewell out before Starscream hauled her out of the mess hall by her right shoulder. She allowed him to drag her for a few feet before using the momentum to swing a left punch into his face. He unexpectedly disappeared, causing her to lean forward too far and lose her balance. Before she could crash onto the floor, he suddenly reappeared behind her and caught her around the middle. He jerked her back up so that she was standing straight, and then he gripped her hands behind her back so she couldn't swing any more surprise punches at him.

"I don't know why I didn't kill you right away. You're more trouble to me alive," Starscream grumbled as he roughly pushed her towards the hangar. She fought with him every inch of the way, feeling like the troublesome prisoner who was resisting his execution. She propped herself against the door frame as a last resort, and smirked as Starscream continued walking from behind, oblivious to the fact that she had stopped. With a savage hiss, Starscream shoved her arms, causing her elbows to collapse and the pair of them to move forward.

When they finally did enter the hangar, Starscream dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. Alexis decided that it was a miracle that her ribs were able to tolerate the abuse they were receiving. Maybe she should have listened to the doctor and stayed in her room today; then King Screamer would have been forced to leave her alone.

That sounded nice.

She watched with slight sadness as Starscream closed and locked the hangar door, effectively cutting off her escape route. So she settled for watching him pace before her, clearly agitated. She also noticed that all the pieces that she'd removed earlier were back in their proper places on the F-22. Damn, Starscream was such a spoilsport.

"So, why haven't you done your freaky transforming thing to intimidate me yet?" Alexis asked casually as she rubbed her sore neck. She had no doubt that there would be bruises there in the morning.

"That brat Tyler Collins followed your example and took me apart further. My systems are still recalibrating, so, as the humans would say, you lucked out. I suppose that it is a good thing that all my crucial systems are out of the reach of your grubby human fingers," Starscream snapped, his irritability growing worse by the minute. Alexis could tell it would take very little to make him snap. Might as well snap it now so it didn't fester for the rest of the day.

Getting up with some difficulty, Alexis walked up to Starscream, who paused in his pacing to confront her. "I took you apart to show you that we humans can be just as dangerous as you when we put our minds to it," she said, poking him in the chest to emphasize her points. "_You _may have brute strength, but _we_ have strength in numbers as well as home field advantage. That means _you_ are on _our_ territory."

Starscream remained silent for a moment, and then with a snarl he suddenly vanished from sight. Alexis rolled her eyes in annoyance as the F-22 across the hangar began transforming into the giant robot. Well, at least his systems were recalibrated now. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a serious temper management problem?" she asked as the robot lunged for her, finishing the transformation process at the same time.

She remembered too well the last time he had lunged at her like this. So in order to avoid being picked up roughly again, she pressed herself flat against the hangar wall. Starscream towered above her, no doubt contemplating whether to kill her or not. She wondered what it was that was holding him back. Was it fear of getting caught by Stanton? The general would no doubt report him immediately to the authorities and he would get hauled off by the government for experiments or tests or whatever they did to aliens they capture. If Stanton was lucky, she might find her way back into her superiors' good graces with Starscream's capture.

If he were ever in a good mood, Alexis would have to ask him. She was curious.

"If you think you have strength in numbers, then why wasn't I killed at Mission City?" Starscream hissed, leaning down so that his face was level with hers. She tried not to give him the satisfaction of being afraid, but failed miserably.

"You had the element of surprise," she mumbled, feeling like a young girl in middle school again. Figuring out the obvious was something she should have grown out of years ago.

"Not for long. What exactly happened?"

She tried not to think back on it, afraid of a potential panic attack. She had been plagued with the attacks while still in the hospital after crashing, and it was not an experience she was thrilled to encounter again. "I don't remember," she stuttered. "I was shot down in combat. I blacked out when I landed, and woke up in the hospital. Ask Riley if you're so desperate to know what happened."

"How about I tell you? One of my comrades shot at a couple F-22s, and evened out the playing field a little. I will admit however that I was rather surprised that it was a pathetic human that killed my faction's leader," Starscream hissed, leaning in even closer. Alexis felt herself shrinking back further, but her attention went from her discomfort back to him when he continued speaking. "When my faction's leader was killed, it left the spot open for me, his second-in-command. I was very pleased with that development. I may have left this mudball for some time, but I returned in order to lead my soldiers into combat and finish off our old enemies once and for all."

"Good luck. You know what? You're getting nothing accomplished by sitting around here, so if you'll just back off, _I_ can go back to my room, and _you _can go take over the world for all I care. I mean it's not like people have tried and failed before," she snapped. She briskly stepped forward, placed her hands on Starscream's 'forehead' and _shoved_ him back so that she could escape.

To her irritation, Starscream didn't even move. He just looked mildly annoyed yet amused at the same time. She could feel him watching her as she tried to make him budge just a little, but she knew she was just entertaining him at this point. Exhausted, she finally quit and went back to the safety of the wall, panting. She scowled at him and demanded, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing. Thanks to you, I now have a set of grimy handprints to clean off. Primus, do you humans ever clean your hands?" Starscream asked, although whether he was entertained or annoyed, Alexis couldn't tell.

Alexis snorted. "You think I felt any better jamming my hands into _your _guts earlier? That wasn't a pleasant experience," she snapped.

"Really? It was the feeling of something squishy and organic fiddling around in my internal systems that woke me up in the first place. It's too bad that you didn't get any energon on your hands. I've been curious to see how it would affect that pathetic protection you humans call 'skin'." Starscream sneered, pulling back into a standing position.

"After seeing what that stuff does with bleach, I'd rather spend weeks in a mental asylum than touch that stuff," Alexis snapped.

"Would you stay there if you went?"

"Shut up!"

"Hmmm is somebody getting a little angry?"

Alexis was slightly flushed in anger at this point. "Yeah, well… well… you wait until I find a blowtorch. I promise you that I won't feel guilty about using it on you while you 'recharge'. I'll even get Riley in on it, and you know how much he hates you!" she shrieked, her fists balled up at her sides.

"For some odd reason that doesn't bother me. Maybe it's because I happen to hate Riley too, and I would only strike back even harder," Starscream mused, as though he was thinking aloud at this point.

"What about Sector Seven? I don't care if they've disbanded. I'm sure they'll send someone associated with Sector Seven to take care of you," she countered.

Starscream suddenly peered down at her. "What do you know of Sector Seven?" he asked, suddenly interested in her words.

Aha. Now she had his attention. Too bad for him, but she wasn't going to cough up the information that easily. "Oh, I don't know. All I know is the usual stuff that all the veterans at this base know. Nothing new," she answered, giving him a sickly sweet smile. "You know what? I think that information is something I'll take with me to the grave. Sorry." With that, she easily darted between his giant legs, and made it to the other hangar door, the one he had forgotten about it. She paused, and then called out, "See you at dinner Starscream… if you bother to show up."

She quickly left the hangar before he could get her for the information. Right as she left however, she did here a snarl of anger, and then she winced when a loud crash echoed in the hall. She guessed that Starscream attempted to follow her to prevent her from leaving, but of course forgot that he was still in his robot mode. His ego was probably bruised right now.

Besides, why did he want to know about Sector Seven so bad? Her information was rather limited compared to what Tom and the other officers knew.

Time to find Ari, before he caught on that she was still technically alone out here in the corridor. Alexis headed quickly down to the rec room, the one room where the occupants forgot all rules of etiquette and treated each other like equals instead. She found her hyper friend playing _Halo: Combat Evolved_ with Tyler. She got two grunts of acknowledgement as she sat down to watch. Before she got too comfortable however, she set her watch timer, just to see how long it took Starscream to find her again. He would never let her off the hook for today.

She grabbed a nearby blanket and settled in the armchair, her eyes watching the TV screen carefully. Her ribs were still aching, and she suspected that she had only delayed her recovery, no thanks to the egotistical robot alien. She probably wouldn't hurt so much if they played this nasty game by her terms... the idea had merit.

_That's too bad Starscream. I guess this time we play by _my_ rules. _She thought grimly as she watched Ari score a victory over Tyler.

Starscream: 3; Alexis: 1

The score was about to change very soon in her favor.

---------------

A/N: The Los Angeles incident mentioned in Chapter 16 is now up as Ch. 10 in Welcome To Earth if anyone is interested in reading about what really happened. Disclaimer: Halo: Combat Evolved belongs to Bungie.


	19. Hidden Agendas

Chapter Nineteen

Hidden Agendas

The only sound in the dimly lit room was the hum of the many computer monitors. Maggie Madsen stretched in her chair and then sipped her coffee in one of many attempts to stay awake. This was honestly the most boring job she'd ever accepted from Keller. When he had asked them if they would like to have a top-secret assignment, she and Glen had jumped at the opportunity to do more government work since the work paid very well. So Keller placed them at _Area 51_ of all places, and the base commander had given them some encoded transmissions to decipher. The disappointing thing was that the transmissions were Cybertronian codes, and both Maggie and Glen had already cracked through those before. Keeping the secret from the commander, they cracked it all within days (with a little outside help), and were slowly feeding the commander the information one line at a time because they had to pretend the codes were too hard to crack all at once.

Keller had also given Maggie a second assignment. There was a rumor that the base commander had gone mental a few years ago, by targeting, then annihilating an American town. So all Maggie had to do was keep a close eye on the general's activities. If the general was preparing to do something stupid and insane again, then all Maggie had to do was warn Keller who could then prepare the new target by evacuating citizens before the date of attack. Maggie personally thought that Keller was overreacting. She had met the commander in person, and the commander had been extremely polite and courteous to them. She did try to do some snooping while Stanton had been out yesterday with the rest of the pilots in Mission City, but nearly ran into some stragglers who would have identified her later.

Of course, as soon as she got the assignment, Glen found out about it by hacking into the Pentagon security systems. It was hard to tell who was the unhappiest about the development, her or Keller.

"_Gliddy glub gloopy, nibby nabby noopy, la la la lo lo!"_

Maggie jumped in her seat as music suddenly blasted from the computer beside hers, piercing the silence of the room. Glen quickly murmured apologies as he turned down the volume of the monitor so that the music was barely a whisper. Maggie glared at Glen before looking around the room to see if anyone had been disturbed. There was only one other person in the room, and he was hunched over his computer as he worked on something clearly important. Maggie could see that his back was to them, and he also wore a pair of thick headphones, so she suspected that he was oblivious as to what had just happened.

"What was that for?" Maggie demanded.

"I was bored, and decided to play some good music to keep me awake. There is no break in this routine, and I was falling asleep." Glen whined. "When is check-in day? I want to see how the SecDef is doing."

"In an hour. We have to tell Keller and Prime first that there is nothing to report. General Stanton keeps us in here day in and day out. It's as though she knows we're also spying on her," Maggie grumbled, careful to keep her voice down.

"Hey Whitmann!"

The two data analysts turned in their seats to see their 'friend' from the 401st walking over to them. Arianna Aliskevicz was grinning broadly as she sauntered over to them. She had met the two of them a few days ago when she'd bribed Glen with jelly Sugar Cream Delights doughnuts for a set of General Stanton's passwords. Maggie offered a friendly smile to the young pilot as the latter flopped down into the empty seat next to Glen.

"So, what's up guys? Anything new? Scandalous? Got anything worth reporting back to the others?" she asked, immediately slumping in her seat and swiveling the chair around so that she was facing the computer.

Glen didn't hear the questions. He was focused on something else. "What happened to your face?" he suddenly asked, gesturing to Arianna's face. Maggie winced when she spotted the large bruise that was forming on the pilot's left cheek. But knowing Arianna's temper, Maggie suspected that the pilot had asked for it.

"Eh, I was sitting between Riley and Stryker at lunch today, and my friend Alexis was kind enough to provoke them into a fight. Riley is one of those people who acts first, asks questions later. He's got a mean right jab," Arianna explained, lightly touching the bruise with her fingertips. "Of course, Alexis could have kept her mouth shut, but no, she had to see Davis and Mackerson duke it out right then and there…"

"You got anymore doughnuts?" Glen suddenly asked, interrupting Arianna.

The pilot smiled sympathetically and said, "I couldn't get more because I wasn't allowed on the Mission City trip yesterday. Sorry." She leaned forward and turned to face them. "But," she said quietly, "I will acquire some more if you can do _me _a little favor."

"Let me guess. Your general changed her passwords again?" Maggie asked sarcastically.

Arianna nodded. "She probably changed them because she caught me 'breaking into' her office the other day. I need them again in case something comes up again," she said, propping her elbows up onto her knees and resting her head in her hands.

"How about instead of doughnuts, you get us a break. I don't care if it's time in the city or just wandering around Area 51. We want to take a break from sitting at computers for hours. Do you think you can handle that?" Maggie asked, cutting Glen off from his attempt to secure more food.

"How long of a break?" Arianna asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"How long can you get?"

"I'll have to see. Stanton can be fickle about who waltzes around her base. You would probably have to have an armed escort or something like that." Arianna said, eyeing her fingernails now. "So, if I get you your break, you'll get me the passwords?" she asked, looking at Maggie again.

"Sounds like a deal."

Arianna grinned again, and reached out her hand across Glen to shake on it. Maggie accepted it, and they sealed the deal.

"You guys mind getting your hands outta my face?" Glen demanded.

"Sorry Whitmann." Arianna said, still grinning, and then released Maggie's hand so that Glen could lean forward comfortably again. She frowned, and then asked, "Who is that guy?" She gestured to the man on the other side of the room.

Maggie shrugged.

"_Arianna Aliskevicz, please report to the mess hall for clean-up. Your punishment from last week is still in effect young lady. Don't make me hunt you down girl,"_ the intercom suddenly crackled, the sergeant's voice ringing throughout the entire base.

"Damn, I swear he's out to get me. Later then, Madsen. Lemme know when you got the passwords. I'll get you your break ASAP." Arianna said as she half-walked, half-danced out the computer room. Both Maggie and Glen heard her footsteps increase as she began to run back to the mess hall.

"The people here are crazy. It makes you wonder if their general is rubbing off on them, or if it's the other way around." Maggie muttered as she and Glen turned back to their computers. She began working on the Area 51 network as Glen accessed the Internet and found some online computer games. They had no more decoding to do; the daily slice of information for the general was sitting on a piece of paper on the table between them. Maggie wondered if there was a particular reason that Arianna wanted the passwords so bad. Was Stanton up to something but was just keeping her soldiers in the dark? In order to preserve the peace, Maggie put on a headset before hacking into the general's computer account.

Glen was too engrossed in his games to pay Maggie much attention.

Maggie easily got onto the general's account and began poking around. Arianna had been wrong; Stanton hadn't changed any of the key information, just the account login username and password. Maggie stayed away from the folder labeled 'Reginald Simmons'; she knew for a fact that there was an alarm system hardwired into the software of whatever program was in that particular folder, and tripping the alarm was not on Maggie's agenda. So instead, she accessed the 401st logbook and typed in 'Reginald Simmons' into the search engine.

The search engine came up empty. Frowning, she typed in 'Mission City' and pressed the 'enter' key.

Page after page of photographs, notes, names, and other data came up on the results list. She clicked on the link that led to photographs, and could only stare in wonder at the marked information. She gulped nervously when she recognized the Decepticon leader Megatron in one of the marked photographs. The puzzling thing was that she didn't recognize the background, so she assumed that the photo had not been taken at the Hoover Dam. Then she noticed that the photo had been taken two years ago.

This was definitely worth reporting to Keller… unless he already knew.

She left the general's account and network, and then accessed VidScreen, a video-chatting program she'd downloaded onto the computer from a flashdrive that Mr. Keller had given her. She waited patiently for the other two participants to join her as the appointed time drew closer.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, two windows simultaneously appeared on the screen. One screen showed the tired face of Secretary of Defense, John Keller, and then the other showed the dignified countenance of the Autobot leader Optimus Prime. Maggie wasn't sure as to how alien technology worked; she just knew that it was compatible with human technology.

"Okay Madsen, what do you have? What is Stanton up to today?" Keller asked, leaning forward in his armchair slightly. Maggie could tell by the chair that the man was still in his office in Washington DC. She assumed that Optimus was in the secure location that the government had staked out for the Autobots.

"I don't know sir. From what I have observed, she keeps her own staff in the dark about the immediate future. There aren't even any electronic records of what she plans to do. All I did find was a bunch of photographs and data concerning Mission City, but they don't tell me anything about her plans. We could all be overreacting and she actually isn't planning anything," Maggie said, keeping her voice down. The other man in the room was still there, and she had no idea if he was actually listening to anything.

Keller was shaking his head as she finished her report. "Miss. Madsen, let me tell you something about Antonia Stanton. The first people she ever plotted against in her life were her childhood rivals in preschool, and she's only grown more dangerous since then. In all the years I have known her, she has never quit on anything and never will. I would be willing to gamble my career that she would even find some way to continue her plans from beyond the grave," he said, relaxing back against his chair. "I also think that she is planning something, but she's lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Oroville was handled a little carelessly for her, and she was mentally scarred from the incident. She won't make the same mistake twice."

"I have heard mentions of this 'Oroville'. What exactly happened there, and how does it pertain to Mission City?" Optimus asked in his rumbling tones. In Maggie's personal opinion, the Autobot leader brought on a whole new definition of 'gentle giant'.

"It's kind of taboo to talk about that here," Maggie observed, carefully watching Keller's face for his reaction. He seemed to know exactly what they were talking about.

"Oroville was a Sector Seven base disguised as an American town and Stanton somehow figured that out. She meant to take out the base in retaliation for something Simmons did, but her plan backfired on her. That's all she told the tribunal during the trial. She refused to outline the plan or explain why she did it, so nobody except those involved know what happened that night. Of course, the names of those involved went missing not too soon after the trial began." Keller explained, looking exhausted. "All ancient history now."

"Do you think she could be aiming for vengeance against Simmons then?" Maggie asked.

"If that is what she wants, then it's going to be excruciatingly painful and humiliating for him," Keller answered grimly.

Suddenly something grabbed Maggie's shoulder and shook her violently. She let out a shriek and turned around to confront the attacker, but instead found Glen standing there, gesturing frantically to the room door. She pulled off her headset and demanded, "What is it?"

"The freaky general lady is coming! We're in so much trouble if we get caught!" Glen squeaked out, his terror interfering with his vocabulary. "What if she tortures us? What if she kicks us out into the desert? Oh, man, I hope she doesn't do that… it's a lotta desert before we get back to civilization, and that's assuming that the security guys don't catch us…"

Maggie ignored Glen and put the headset back on. "General Stanton is coming for the information; she can't see this," she said, trying to keep her own panic out of her voice.

"Good luck then. I will contact you this time." Keller said, and then his window vanished from the screen. Optimus's window vanished a few seconds later. Maggie quickly exited VidScreen, pulled off the headset, and then accessed one of the decoding programs that were available to her. She began to pretend checking the written information.

General Stanton entered the room three seconds later, a tired smile on her face. She crossed the room without a word and stopped behind the data analysts. "Madsen, Whitmann, do you have what I need?" she asked, her voice betraying her exhaustion.

"Yes ma'am," Maggie answered politely, taking the paper and handing it to Stanton. The general studied it, frowning.

"Are you sure? None of this is making sense," Stanton said, placing her weight onto her left leg as she held the paper up to a light as though another secret would be revealed that way.

"Yes ma'am. I think this is one of those codes where you need all the pieces to figure out the puzzle." Maggie respectfully answered. She watched as Stanton studied the message.

"How much longer do you think it will take?" Stanton asked, tilting her head slightly as her eyes narrowed.

"I don't know ma'am. After decoding the message, we generally check the information for any possible errors. The process is very time-consuming," Maggie explained, choosing her words carefully.

"Whatever happened to the good old days of mirror-writing or simple punch codes? I promise you that in the future, it will take artificial intelligences to write and translate the codes because the damn things will be too complex for humans to figure out." Stanton grumbled, staring at the piece of paper as though it had committed a grave offense against her. "Well, I suppose, since it takes so long to get one line of information, you should probably get to work on the next line hmmm? Thank you for this line; I should probably go put it with the others and make sense of the gibberish I'm being told," she said, turning to leave.

Maggie sighed and then turned back to face the computer.

"Oh, and Miss Madsen? Have you identified the origins of this information?"

Maggie froze momentarily, and then quickly said, "It's, uh, a southeastern Asian text I think. I might need to do more research."

"Very well."

Maggie only relaxed when she heard the general's footsteps retreating. That had been a close call. Now of course she had to find a text that was remotely close to Cybertronian. Maybe one of ancient civilizations had hieroglyphics that could easily be passed off as Cybertronian. Then again, most of the ancient civilizations had evolved into modern-day countries. Maggie didn't want to be the one to direct the American wrath onto another country by pointing the finger. She didn't know what Stanton was using the translations for or even where the general had acquired the original texts.

Maggie snorted. She could just see the headlines now. They would read, 'AMERICAN DECODER BEGINS WORLD WAR THREE BY SICCING MENTALLY UNSTABLE GENERAL ONTO INNOCENT COUNTRY.

"Hey Mags, what are we gonna do? The woman is nuts. I say we bail as soon as our ride comes," Glen said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"When will that be? Stanton told Keller that she'd contact him once we were done here. We are obviously not done here, so that isn't going to happen anytime soon." Maggie reminded him.

Glen seemed to think for a moment, and then said, "We can get one of the Autobots to bail us out. We can tell Ratchet that you're dying of measles, and that you need treatment immediately. The doc here at the base _just happened_ to be out on leave at the time, and that we need a doc ASAP. Then, he'll take you outta here and _I'll_ hitch a ride! It's foolproof!"

Maggie scoffed. "There are a few problems with that theory. One, isn't measles an illness you get in your _childhood?_ Two, we're both vaccinated for it, and will say so on our medical records. Ratchet will probably check my record to see if I'm allergic to any medication, and see that little notation. Three, we'll have to come back eventually to 'finish' decoding the codes. Four, Stanton could completely lose it while we're gone, and Keller won't have his precious warning," she pointed out, struggling to rein in her temper.

"Well, I don't see _you_ coming up with anything!" Glen snapped.

"Hey guys!"

Maggie gritted her teeth and said, "Arianna, we're in the middle of a discussion right now. Can it wait? I don't have your passwords; I have my work cut out for me already by the general."

Arianna snickered and said, "Well, I think your 'discussion' is just as intense as the ones that Alexis and Stryker have every time they wander off and I find them. Except Alexis tried to hit Stryker once while she had a sprained ankle. I would have laughed if she hadn't been so angry." She shrugged and said, "Well, I guess that what I have to say isn't so important. See you later!" With a knowing smirk, she turned on her heel and began to leave the room.

Maggie rolled her eyes as Glen shouted, "Wait! Tell us!"

Arianna sauntered over with the air of a victorious champion. "I talked to the general a few minutes ago, and I managed to get you guys a three-hour break," she said in a sly manner. "The cool part is that Tyler, my partner, and I get to be your 'armed escort'. How awesome is that?" she asked, grinning broadly.

At this point, Maggie would take anything, and three hours of freedom from a mundane routine sounded wonderful. "Let the three hours start now!" she said, and then began walking out of the room, Glen following her.

Arianna whispered, "Yes!" and punched a fist into the air. She then darted out the room after the two data analysts.

-----------

The man in the room waited until the three of them were gone, and then he heard the click of the closing door. He got up from his seat and pulled his headset off, and nearly crowed aloud in victory.

The general was weakening. It was a slow and painful process, but she was breaking down, and it was only a matter of time that she would be vulnerable and alone. All the man had to do was break down the walls of trust she had with her two 'henchmen' Randall and Wilson. Then the man would strike.

It had been a huge stroke of luck to discover that he wasn't the only person at Area 51 with a hidden agenda. The woman data analyst had been correct in assuming that he had been listening to something, she was just incorrect as to _what_ he'd been listening too.

He walked over to the analyst's computer and reached behind the monitor. He pried the small tape recorder off the back, and then tucked the tiny microphone back into the appropriate slot. Then, he carefully detached the wire that connected the recorder to his headset… he could review the conversation again later. He had gotten the gist of the woman data analyst's conversation the first time through.

The woman data analyst had been smart to wear headsets for her conversation with the contacts; he had only caught her end of the conversation.

Flicking the monitor on, the man carefully went through the list of recent activity. Grinning, he accessed the general's database, and nearly laughed out loud at the sheer amount of information Stanton had squirreled away over the years. She had her own information bank right here.

He inserted a small flashdrive into the computer, pressed a few keyboard commands, and then began downloading the information onto it, programming a small virus and sending it off in another direction so that the virus rather than the illegal downloading would distract the networks. The man rolled his eyes; this was almost too easy.

_Fzzzzzz!_

The screen flickered once or twice before blacking out completely. Then there was the sound of computers powering down as the room was plunged into darkness. Something had caused all the computers to all shut off and power down… a system crash.

Swearing, the man yanked out the flashdrive in anger. It couldn't have been the programmed virus; his boss had assured him that it wouldn't affect the network system. He froze, as there was a rustling system underneath his monitor; there was another suspect other than the virus.

The man bent down and peered through the gloom, and came face-to-face with a set of black glittering eyes.

Charlie panicked and ran out from underneath the computers and through a bolt-hole in the room wall, a few thin cables trailing after the animal. The man muttered a few choice profanities as he tucked his pistol away. He knew he was just one of many who wanted that stupid raccoon dead, but he was probably the only one who wanted the animal dead so he could continue his private assignment in peace.

He would have to continue on a later date when the networks were up and running again.

The man snatched the recorder and flashdrive, and quietly stole out of the computer labs.

------------------

A/N: The line 'Gliddy glub gloopy…etc.' comes from the song 'Good Morning Starshine' by Hair (that is really the artist's name).


	20. White Flag

Chapter Twenty

White Flag

"Alexis, toss me the sponge, _but don't hit me!"_

Alexis waited until Riley's back was to her before she whipped the soapy sponge major-league-baseball style at his back. The bandages around her middle restricted her movement, so her aim was slightly off in the end; it hit him in the back of his head, pitching him forward onto the wing of his F-22. Both Jackson and Andrew snickered at their teammate's dilemma.

"Trip much?" Ari asked in a mock polite voice as Riley picked himself up.

"Oh, shut up. Alexis, did you even hear what I just said?" Riley asked, turning to Alexis, a half-annoyed, half-amused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm developing selective listening," Alexis said in a mock apologetic tone. "You know, like when General Stanton is giving you a punishment and you only obey half of the orders."

"That is a legitimate medical condition," Riley shot back, pretending to be offended.

Alexis laughed at that, turning around to face the entrance. By chance, she happened to look straight at the door just as it opened. Her smile slipped off her face as she watched Starscream's hologram walk into the hangar, accompanied by Tom. The two of them were carrying two big paint cans each, a bundle of broad brushes under Tom's arm.

She smirked when she spotted the bruising along Starscream's jaw, testimonies from the fight at lunch yesterday. Starscream had been less than pleased to learn that he had to fake injuries from the fight so that Riley wouldn't suspect anything. He had reluctantly programmed them into the hologram, and Alexis was supposed to tell him when it was safe to remove them. She wondered if she should 'forget' to tell him, and then wait to see how long he would have the bruises before remembering to remove them.

Alexis turned away from Starscream and glanced at her friend in concern. Innocent Ari had been minding her own business at lunch when Alexis had goaded Starscream and Riley into the fistfight. Ironically enough, Ari had been sitting between the two men in order to prevent them from fighting, but ended up receiving the first punch of the afternoon. Ari did redeem herself however, and had socked Riley square in the nose. Then she had gotten out of Riley's charge, so that it was Starscream who received the brunt of the attack. Afterwards she had laughed the injury off, but Doctor Sasquatch finally determined through medical examination that her jaw had taken some slight damage. Thankfully, it wasn't too serious, and she had only been confined to a brace that she had to wear for twelve hours in the evening. No one received punishment because the general never found out.

Alexis went back to her work, cleaning up a few energon droplets that must have gotten there the night she discovered Starscream's secret. She did not look up when she heard a _thump_ behind her as Starscream easily got onto the back of her F-22. She did not acknowledge him as he approached her and waited for her attention. Finally, she couldn't ignore him much longer. "Yes, Starscream? What is today's crisis?" she asked, wishing more than ever that he could solve his own issues with the other pilots.

"Is it common for you humans in a group to attack each other?" he asked. She winced; he must have seen the sponge throw.

"No, Starscream. I only meant it jokingly and Riley trusts me enough to know that I was kidding around and not trying to kill him," she said, looking to the right to meet his eyes. "Why, did you have problems with teammates in the past?" she asked. When he didn't immediately react, she asked, "Did I strike a nerve there?"

He snarled at the snide remark, and seized her shirt collar. "Where _I _come from, there is no such thing as trust between 'teammates'. You could place trust in the fact there was always a possibility that you could be betrayed at a moment's notice," he hissed, bringing her face right up to his. "It was a pack of trained soldiers all trying to remove the soldier above their rank, myself included."

"Ever occur to you that you were just overestimating yourself the entire time? Egos do tend to get in the way of self-perception. That would explain why a 'pathetic weakling' could kill your leader and you couldn't," Alexis told him, knowing full well that she was overreaching her boundaries. "Here's a reality check; physically, you may be huge, but you're not invincible."

Starscream looked as though he was about to murder her right then and there.

"Don't even think about it Davis. Just because I can't follow you up there doesn't mean I can't see you up there," Tom yelled from the ground, breaking Starscream's concentration. "I don't want someone breaking their neck just because there was a brawl on a fighter jet and they fell off."

"Now _there's_ a possibility," Starscream growled, glaring at her.

Alexis scowled and freed her collar from his grip. She then stalked to the other side of the jet on the pretense of fixing something, but in reality she was giving him space to calm down. She watched in silence as Starscream stalked over to 'his jet', and then duck down into the open cockpit. She, and only she, knew that his hologram would vanish and he would recharge so that he had more energy for another confrontation before or after dinner.

"Make sure everything is ready to go folks. The general wants to perform some test flights later this week. Preston, you are exempt from the exercises due to the nature of your injuries," Tom said, walking in between the jets as he checked to make sure that everyone was doing something productive and not goofing off. "Bear in mind, that these flights will also include partner exercises, so make sure you're clear with who you're working with. Davis, the general has a special set-up for you and Preston since she can't fly." Tom stopped, and then yelled, "The rookies have their call signs sorted out. Is everyone in here all set?"

"Almost. We still need a name for Davis, and Riley wants to change his," Ari called back. She turned and shouted across the hangar, "Hey Alexis, can you come over here and help me out? I'm too lazy to get down and get my tools, so can you just hand them over to me?"

"All right lazy-butt." The first two parts of the sentence had been spoken aloud, but Alexis was careful to mutter the insult softly enough so that Ari's unusually sharp ears didn't catch it. She carefully climbed her way down the F-22, and as she walked over to Ari's jet, the call sign discussion carried on above her.

"Just as an FYI, I'm keeping my old one, Triple A, so no one think about taking it," Ari announced as she lay herself flat on the jet's wing so she could reach the offered tools better.

"Didn't we just call you 'Trip' for short?" Jackson asked, frowning slightly.

"Where the hell did you get the idea for that anyway?" Riley asked rudely.

"My initials dummy. My full name is Arianna Allison Aliskevicz. My parents thought it would be cute to have the three letters be the same, my classmates thought it was dumb," Ari said, flicking some water from a bucket at her side towards him. "Alexis, can we pick up the pace a bit?" she asked, and then yelped when Alexis tossed a wrench up.

"Hey, you can keep yours, but don't steal Alexis's," Andrew said, grinning broadly.

"What is Alexis's call sign?" Starscream asked, suddenly appearing at Alexis's elbow. She let out a small shriek of surprise, which caused Andrew and Riley to start laughing.

"When she first came here, she was downright terrified of everything. She even jumped at her own shadow once on Halloween. Riley gave her the nickname 'The Lil' Squeaker', and it kind of stuck when it came time for call signs. So Alexis is our own resident Squeaker. She tolerates the name only during combat situation though, and will threaten violence if you call her that anywhere other than inside the jet," Jackson explained, winking at Andrew, who nodded, grinning.

_Thanks guys. I mean it's not as though Starscream needed more ammunition to torture me with later, _Alexis thought sourly as she lightly tossed up another tool. Ari grabbed for it, but it slipped through her fingers and hit Starscream on the side of the head. Riley howled in laughter while Alexis covered her mouth with her hand and bit her tongue as futile attempts to smother her laughter. Starscream looked extremely annoyed as he rubbed his head, which was another charade he had to do in order to appear human.

"I think Stryker's call sign should be 'Screamer'," Alexis suggested as she tossed the tool up again. This time it clattered across the wing before falling off on the other side, earning Alexis an annoyed expression from Ari.

"How come?" Starscream snarled from behind her, and she suspected that he thought she was about to blow his secret.

"Yeah why?" Ari asked, momentarily pausing in her work to listen.

Alexis pretended to think about her reasons for a moment, and she sensed Starscream getting impatient and angry behind her as she carefully drew out the suspense. "His call sign should be 'Screamer' because his temper is such a dominant part of his personality, and he'll be screaming at me about it later," she said, careful to direct her answer at Ari and not Starscream, who snarled softly in his throat. _Just not for the reasons you think_ she thought grimly as Ari laughed out loud. She heard Starscream wringing his hands as though trying to refrain from transforming and attacking her right there.

"I like it," Riley decided. "His temper _is _a dominant part of his personality, it's kind of hard to argue against that little fact."

"Mackerson! Have you decided on your call sign yet?" Tom interrupted, apparently peeved that he had to put up with them today. Alexis suddenly wondered if the pilots were the real source of his anger; one of the base custodians had passed along a rumor that Tom and the general had had a violent row last night over what had happened to some decoded information that had gone missing earlier in the afternoon. Alexis hoped that it was just a passing thing; Stanton was a formidable opponent on her own, but was nearly unstoppable when Tom and Randall reinforced her. Some people called them the 'modern triumvirate', but only Alexis and the other veteran pilots knew that Randall was a newcomer to the inner circle. He was only filling in the place that Stanton's late husband had vacated two years ago.

"Riley, you should go with 'Charlie'," Ari said, yanking Alexis back to the here and now. Alexis edged away from Starscream as Ari continued by saying, "He is your _darling _pet after all." Nobody missed the sarcasm in her voice.

"Not permitted. 'Charlie' is a part of the NATO phonetic alphabet. The call sign will mess everybody up, since we won't know if… _the general_ is delivering orders or telling Mackerson to can it. Pick something else." Tom ordered, silently daring anyone to comment on his address to the general.

Starscream was the only one brave enough to open his mouth. Alexis made a mental note to remind the alien robot that he was no longer a second-in-command and therefore no longer free to sass anyone at his leisure. "Is someone having conflict with their superior?" Starscream asked in a mockingly pleasant tone.

"Uh-oh," Ari muttered as Tom turned slowly to face Starscream.

"What was that soldier?" Tom asked, glaring at Starscream. The sergeant had no hope of competing with Starscream's holographic six feet; after Tom had lost his leg in combat, the replacement had caused Tom to shrink a few inches. Despite the fact he was still within the acceptable height limit, the army doctors had declared the injury too grievous to continue active duty.

"Sergeant, you know how rookies are. Um, they're always speaking their minds with little respect for…" Alexis began.

"For anybody of superior rank. Yes, Preston, that is the one plague we always deal with newcomers," Stanton cut in, standing in the doorway. "Sergeant Wilson, are they almost ready?" she asked, her tone cold and formal.

"Almost ma'am," Tom replied in a similar manner.

"I want to perform the tests in three days, and they have plenty of work beforehand. Davis, I want those old burn marks removed. I don't care if you have to scrub them out or paint over them. Just get rid of them. Is everyone clear on that?" she demanded. She tsked in an annoyed manner when she got a few murmured consents, but instead of waiting for the more proper response, she turned on her heel and abruptly left.

"I tell you, she's losing it," Ari muttered to Alexis as Starscream wandered back to 'his' F-22 and the other pilots resumed their clean-ups and any necessary adjustments. "Just the other day she agreed to allowing those two data analysts to participate in Riley's _Halo_ competition tonight. Before Mission City, she would have said, 'hell no!'"

"Do you think she came down with something?" Alexis asked curiously, tossing another tool up.

"If she is, then she's doing a crummy job keeping it a secret and the doctor's doing an phenomenal job of keeping it quiet," Ari said, flinching back as the screwdriver nearly hit her face. "For goodness sake Alexis, just hand me the stupid things and stop trying to take my face off."

"I wouldn't do that. Stryker would." Alexis said as she picked up the screwdriver that had fallen near her.

"Stryker has a condition that sane people call 'a serious attitude problem'. Forget about him for one minute, and _hand _me the screwdriver," Ari snapped crossly.

Alexis stretched up and held it out to Ari. To her irritation, the tip of the screwdriver barely grazed Ari's fingertips. Alexis growled and Ari muttered, "Aw come on. Just another few centimeters."

"Hang on, I'm a little too damn short for this," Alexis growled, looking around for something to use as a step.

"How tall are you?" Ari asked, frowning.

"Five feet, five inches, but I've grown a bit since they measured me. Why?" Alexis asked.

"Try standing on your tiptoes," Ari suggested, sounding as though she was pointing out a painfully obvious fact.

Alexis did so, and Ari smirked as she snatched the screwdriver. "Told you so," Ari muttered as she tightened a bolt that she had loosened in order to reach another part. "Alexis, you realize that this height issue of yours is just… you right? Well, technically not _you_, but it's your perception of yourself. Somehow, you've managed to convince yourself you were short, and continued to believe that as time went on. Now the belief is just ingrained in your head," she said, looking down at her friend. "How did that start?"

"My sister and cousins were all younger than me, but I was the oldest of the bunch." Alexis said, laughing softly at the memory.

"Well, maybe Stryker can make himself useful and help stamp out that notion," Ari grumbled, tossing the screwdriver to the ground. She watched with slight amusement as it clattered and slid across the floor.

Alexis snorted. "You probably wish," she said, rolling her eyes. Starscream would probably rather confront one of his old enemies than cooperate with a member of an 'inferior species'.

"Are you two getting along yet?" Ari asked.

"Somewhat. Sorry Ari, but I have to go finish my work," Alexis said, and walked back to the F-22. She smiled amiably to Tom as she passed the irate sergeant, and inspected the metallic surface of the jet when she reached the F-22. She was giving the appearance of working, even if she wasn't going to fly in a couple of days with the rest of them. She felt a pang of jealousy at the thought, and mentally cursed Starscream for hurting her badly in the first place. It was his fault that she was in this position.

Actually, it was her snide remark about his previous commander that got him going. Okay, so it was the fault of her big mouth… although Starscream had a somewhat touchy nature to begin with.

"Does it hurt?"

Alexis jerked in surprise as Starscream appeared out of nowhere at her elbow. She gritted her teeth as she felt a spasm of pain cross her middle as a result from the sharp movement. "Does _what_ hurt?" she asked through gritted teeth, not in the mood for banter with him.

"Your torso."

Alexis rested her head against the cool metallic surface of the jet's belly. "Yes, it does hurt, Starscream. It hurts when I move, it hurts when I try to sleep, and Doctor Sasquatch is worried about my healing _and_ the risk of possible addiction to the painkillers. I am also not in the mood to fight with you today," she said, wondering why the hell he even cared… unless he was plotting something hideous for later. She turned around to confront him, but stopped when she recognized his _calculating _expression. He was definitely up to something now.

Tom however saved her without knowing it. "Davis! You heard the general! Scoot and leave Preston alone. Give the kid some space to breathe for crying out loud!" the sergeant yelled, cuffing Starscream on the head from behind. "_Move it!"_

Starscream hissed softly as he moved back to 'his' jet. Tom meanwhile ambled over to Alexis and inspected the spot she had been tackling for the last fifteen minutes. "You look tired kid," he finally commented.

"Just aches and pains keeping me up," Alexis answered, offering a small smile. _Plus the fact that I lay awake every night waiting for a psychopathic robot to follow through on one of his numerous death threats, nothing big really, _she mentally added.

"Davis still treating you right? The general can still throw him out if he isn't," Tom said, jerking his head in Starscream's direction.

Alexis frowned, thinking. Here was Alexis's chance to throw Starscream under the bus and remove a threat to national security from Area 51. Here was Alexis's chance to help her commander redeem herself in the eyes of her peers. Here was Alexis's chance to prevent a cataclysmic disaster from happening by getting Starscream away from the firepower that was stored away in Area 51. She'd never have to hear from the egotistical alien again. Of course, this was all assuming Starscream didn't hunt her down and kill her years later from now.

But it was her curiosity that held her back. She would probably never, _ever _admit this to Starscream, but it was the multitude of questions that prevented her from ratting out on him. She was admittedly curious about his previous commander and 'teammates', and wondered if they were worse than a pack of mastiffs fighting over a prime rib (Starscream had certainly made it seem that bad). Did he dislike her species and she was the closest thing to vent his anger out on, or did he just happen to have a nasty disposition and generally disliked everything when they weren't under his command? Worse yet, was he a perfectionist? Alexis knew she was, but that part of her nature would clash horribly with his because they probably had different definitions of 'perfection'.

"No, he's not being a pain," she said to Tom, who had been waiting patiently the whole time for her answer. "There haven't been any problems between us."

"I guess not. He said the same thing when I asked him earlier today," Tom said, staring at Starscream. He then ambled off to where Marcia and Andrew were bickering over something, most likely over the toolbox that was between them.

Alexis quietly put a few scattered tools back in their proper places and glanced around. She may not be flying in a couple of days, but she knew that no matter what, they all had to be prepared for an emergency. She had a hunch that Starscream would be at the epicenter of half of those emergencies, knowing his temper.

"Hey Preston."

She turned around, and smiled when she recognized Rad White. He offered her a wry grin as he walked closer, stopping so that he could lean on the jet's body while standing about a foot in front of her. "Hey," she said once she remembered her voice and her manners. "What's up? What brings you to the rat's nest of all crime here at the base?"

He laughed lightly at this. "Eh, nothing. I was just finished early so I figured I would stop by and say hi to one of the _talented_ veterans of the group," he said, eyes twinkling.

She pretended to gasp. "Are you suggesting that Riley, the contender for squadron captain, is not talented?" she teased.

Rad laughed too, until his face darkened slightly. "No, I was more referring that the _other _contender for squadron captain is not as talented as the rest of the bunch," he said, casting a side-glance in Starscream's direction.

"Rad, Stryker isn't a veteran pilot," Alexis said, following the direction of Rad's glance. _Well, not a veteran in this squadron at least._ "General Stanton would never consider him unless he did something incredibly stupid yet brilliant at the same time."

"Yeah, but I feel he's a little too pushy for my taste. He's a complete waste of your time," Rad said, eyeing Starscream again.

"If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were jealous of Stryker for some bizarre reason," Alexis said, wiping grease off of her hands and tossing the rag into a nearby bucket.

Rad didn't directly respond to her remark. "Why do you put up with him?" he asked, leaning on the jet so that he was facing her, getting in her way as he did so. "Do you guys have something going on between you?" he asked. The question was obviously meant to be harmless, but Alexis only felt herself grow wary from the question.

"No, there's nothing between us. Why?" she asked, checking around the hangar. At some point or another, the pilots had filtered out of the hangar, and it was just Rad, her, and well, Starscream. She doubted Starscream would be paying much attention to the exchange; he was probably used to the insults by now, and recharging was probably a more attractive activity right now… at least compared to listening to two humans gossiping.

"Then why do you stay with him when you could have a more experienced flight partner?" Rad asked, scooting closer to her.

"Stryker has enough experience as a fighter," she said. "I… _trust_ him on the battlefield." She prayed that Starscream wouldn't take her words at face value… although a small part of her did hope that he would.

"_I_ have experience as a fighter," Rad said, leaning in slightly. "Do you not have enough… _trust_ to believe what I'm saying?" he asked, getting closer… too close in fact for comfort.

She frowned but braced herself as Rad leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. She managed a weak grin, and Rad was smiling gently, his smile reaching his blue eyes.

"Excuse me?"

Rad jerked back as though burned, and both he and Alexis turned to see Starscream's hologram standing there. Alexis felt her face burn at being caught red-handed, but then she wondered why she should even care about what Starscream thought.

"_Your_ flight partner is looking for you," he said, and Alexis marveled slightly at how smoothly the lie came. He glanced at Alexis, and then reverted his attention back to Rad. "He is in the recreation room, participating in some video game competition."

"That's too bad," Rad said, turning back to Alexis. "I guess I'll see you around Preston, huh? Are you going to the competition?" he asked.

Alexis laughed slightly. "I'll probably come around later. I've got some stuff to finish up," she said, making a vague gesture to the water buckets with one hand. "Then I have to stop by the doctor's to get a checkup on the ribs."

"That's too bad. See you around then," Rad said, and turned to leave.

If looks could kill, Alexis suspected that Starscream would probably slaughtered Rad hours ago. As soon as the hangar door closed behind Rad, Starscream let out a vicious snarl, and then his hologram abruptly vanished. Alexis rolled her eyes as she heard the sound of gears grinding, heralding Starscream's transformation back into his robotic self. He really needed to rein in that temper of his. She walked out from beneath the jet's wing and stared up to the scarlet eyes that were flaring with anger.

He was silent for a minute, and Alexis wondered what he was thinking… probably deciding which injustice to complain about first. She mulled over the numerous possibilities, picked one, and then bet herself a dollar that his first complaint would be the topic she had mentally selected.

"You don't think _I'm_ a veteran? I've been a soldier longer than you have been _alive,_ fleshling," he snarled, his voice betraying his anger as the rafters shook slightly from the force of his words.

Alexis waited for the rattling to stop, and then observed, "You were actually listening? At least we all know your auditory functions are working properly."

She let out a shriek as his claw-like hand came down over her, reminding her of a cage-like environment. She dropped to her knees and covered her head, wondering if this was it for her life.

"I suggest you remember that I would not hesitate to kill. Also bear in mind, that I really have no need for your leader. If I want to get rid of you, I will easily take care of your leader, and then be rid of two problems at once," he hissed, and Alexis heard a creaking as Starscream pressed his palm down a little further to create a smaller space for her.

"Just wait until you transform back into the F-22. Then I'll dismantle you. I haven't decided over what I'm going to do with the separate pieces yet, but I'll make sure that even a GPS scanner can't locate them all," Alexis growled. "Plus, I'll put the pieces in places where any of your little buddies can't reach them."

Starscream seemed to make a sound of discontentment. "It all depends who goes to into recharge first now, doesn't it? First one to lower their guard is the first one to go," he hissed, although Alexis could detect a hint of smugness in his tone.

"Beat you to it," she muttered, but she knew that his superior hearing had caught it anyway. "I haven't slept well ever since I walked in on your transforming thing." She carefully lowered her hands and looked up into the metallic prison she was encaged in. Hmmm… she got an idea and casually said, "I bet you're 'recharging' a whole lot better than I am."

Starscream growled softly, but there was a moment's hesitation as he thought over his answer. Alexis took advantage of that hesitation to reach through Starscream's fingers to reach for the screwdriver that Ari had carelessly tossed to the ground earlier. She snatched it and swiftly jammed it up into his palm.

Alexis rolled away as soon as the hand went up. Good thing too, for his fist slammed into the ground seconds later. She decided to cover up that depression; there was no way that Stanton would swallow the 'fireworks-caused-an-explosion-and-was-powerful-enough-to-dent-the-floor' lie again.

"Wait!" she shouted just as he aimed a weapon at her. To her surprise, he stopped and peered down at her.

"Why should I?" he hissed.

She waited until she was sure he was paying attention before lowering her hand. Alexis swallowed nervously before continuing. By all rights, it should have been a trained diplomat doing this, not her. But there was probably no one else that knew about this… at least someone who was within driving range of the air base. "Do you understand the concept of the white flag?" she asked, praying that he did. If so, then she could sleep for once at night, and he would maybe put his death plots on hold once he realized that she wasn't going to hurt him. Yet.

"You're surrendering?" he asked suddenly, sounding hopeful and surprised all at once.

Alexis didn't let that assumption insult her. "No. The white flag can also signal a temporary truce. I know a little peace is not in your nature, but I for one would like to maintain the illusion that we're getting along. She'll be watching us the day of the test flights. So, if you cooperate with me until afterwards, then I'll…" she paused there, wondering what his plans were, and what she could offer to make the plans easier. She got an idea, and knew she would have to be very careful in her answers. "If you cooperate, then I'll tell you whatever you want to know about the president's security," she said, careful to meet Starscream's optics.

Starscream narrowed his optics. "Are you sure you're a human and not a Decepticon in disguise?" he asked suspiciously.

"What makes you suggest that, and what the hell is a Decepticon?" Alexis snapped before remembering to keep her temper in check.

"The answer to your first question: you are threatening death to me one minute, and then suggesting peace the next. The answer to your second question: a creature that can quickly become your worst nightmare," Starscream snarled.

"As a member of the Air Force, I happen to know a few security tricks the Secret Service employs. Wouldn't it make your life easier if you knew the steps they took to keep the commander-in-chief of all American armed forces safe?" she reminded him.

The reminder of national secrets apparently caused Starscream to forget about the injustices of the past, and catch his attention for the present. "How do I know you're not lying?" he asked, leaning down so that he was closer to her level.

"Why would I lie to a creature that is obviously bigger than me and turn me into mush faster than I could protest? I'm not that stupid," Alexis reminded him.

"I suppose not," he murmured thoughtfully. He let out a low hiss, and then said, "Very well human. I will agree to your bargain, but I will not hesitate to kill you at any sign of trickery or betrayal," he said grudgingly. He muttered to himself, but gingerly accepted her pro-offered hand. Alexis mused that this would look odd to an outsider, a giant robot carefully sealing a deal with a small human.

She didn't mention her personal failsafe if something should go wrong. Starscream wasn't smart enough to know that she wasn't permitted to give away top secret information, and that there was risk of federal prosecution if she should do something like that.

Alexis did feel a little guilty about crossing her fingers in her pocket so that he wouldn't see or catch on.

"Well," she said aloud after releasing Starscream's fingers, "I should go to the doctor's so that Rad can't call me out on that lie." She laughed lightly at Starscream's growl when she mentioned Rad's name. "What do you have against him? He should be terrified of _you_."

"I don't like him," came the obstinate reply. Alexis suspected he was probably going to stick to that story no matter how hard she pressed. "Have you located that slagging animal yet?" he demanded.

"Sorry, but not even Riley knows where Charlie is half the time," Alexis said, straightening her light jacket. She turned to leave but stopped when something occurred to her. "Hey, uh, Starscream?"

He glared at her balefully, passing that off as his response.

"You once told me that the military leaders wouldn't care if Stanton disappeared. Why is that?" Alexis asked, choosing one of the questions that had been bothering her for days.

"I chose General Stanton specifically because I observed the attitudes of her peers concerning her. Due to her actions at Oroville and her disgrace afterwards, there are some leaders who are still angry with her over that, so they would not mind her death too much. One less nuisance to deal with." Starscream paused and cocked his head to peer at her, and then said, "It appears that there are some males who think very little of the females of your race."

"Sounds just like the military bosses. General Stanton's only allies up top are Mr. Thayer and Mr. Keller," Alexis explained. "The rest of them are just sexists."

Starscream looked confused.

"Meaning that they blatantly favor men over women. It can be the other way around," Alexis explained. "Now, if something drastic happens, I'll be in the rec room. Ari and I put down some bets on the outcome of the competitions tonight."

Starscream muttered some dark things about the frivolous and complicated nature of humans as he folded back down into the F-22 jet. "You do that. _I'm_ going to recharge."

"You do that."

As she headed down to the rec room, Alexis made a mental note to inquire to Riley about Charlie's usual haunts. Starscream was going to be a major pain in the rear if he didn't get his stupid cable back soon.

It seemed that no matter what the species, the males would always be cranky when their needs aren't immediately met.


	21. Test Flights

Chapter Twenty-One

Test Flights

"If you had remained still, we would have been done hours ago."

"But it is such a pain to stay still in this form, especially when you're working so slow!"

"Listen up Screamer. I did not wake up at five in the morning just to listen to you whine and complain like a spoiled teenage girl who just got kicked out of a designer store. I could just be waking up right now if you hadn't bothered me," Alexis snapped, waving the brush threateningly. "You move one more time, and I will find a way to spray this stuff into your 'optics'." She leaned forward, feeling the precariousness of her position, and then continued spraying on the identification serial numbers on Starscream's tail fin. The Air Force logos were in their proper places, so she and Starscream were almost done here. What she couldn't figure out was why Starscream couldn't paint the stupid things on himself. He knew exactly where the equipment was, and he remembered his own ID codes better than she remembered her own. She wondered if laziness was a dominant trait among his species. If so, she wasn't sure she wanted to know another alien robot.

Starscream was also a bigger whiner than she originally anticipated.

"What about our 'truce'? If you injure me, then you violate the peace agreement. I'm not so stupid as to be unaware of the unspoken terms and consequences," Starscream muttered loud enough for her to hear, sounding very close to a sulky child.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you managed to honor it for five days. However, if you push me too far, I will retain the secrets and forsake it. I'll hire Riley and Tyler to help me find something to break and permanently shut you up," Alexis snapped. She didn't care if he already knew, but she was exhausted. The _Halo_ competition had stretched over the week, and the semi-finals had been last night. She made the error of staying up late, assuming that she was exempt from the rules since she technically wasn't flying today. She had stayed up to see the last semi-final round with the 'judges' and a few other spectators. The other 401st pilots had gone off to bed at nine-thirty (an hour-and-a-half later than Tom usually permitted), but she had dragged herself off to bed at eleven forty-five. His Majesty King Screamer had woken her up about half an hour later, asking about the necessity of serial numbers and ID logos. She told him she'd help him with that as long as he scrammed from the room in five seconds.

As Alexis placed some finishing touches on the numbers, she mused over the possibility of what Starscream would complain about next once the truce was over. She had lost the bet she had made with herself, assuming that he would complain about his call sign rather than his status as a veteran. "Okay, _now_ you're done," she said, standing up straight. She winced at the cricks in her back, and then gently tossed the painting equipment down to the ground. She carefully made her way to his wing and calculated the distance to the ground. Then she prepared to jump off and land lightly… at least that was her plan.

She might kill Starscream later for not warning her of his actions ahead of time.

As Alexis tensed, ready to jump, the armor plates underneath her feet began moving without warning. She let out a yelp and slipped as the ground suddenly stretched farther away from her. She grabbed the nearest component and clutched on for dear life as parts and gears slid into place. "Starscream!" she yelled when he was finished with the transformation. Somehow, she had ended up on one of his colossal wings that extended from his back. Starscream sighed in obvious annoyance before plucking her off of his wing, muttering something about 'slagging handprints' and exposure to human bacteria. Alexis growled as he held her jacket between his thumb and forefinger. She was not just some mere toy to be mishandled, although she most certainly felt like it at the moment.

"What the hell are you doing?" she finally snapped.

"Stretching. You wouldn't know what it's like to be cramped for hours on end in an alternate mode," came the slightly arrogant response.

"Well, while I'm all for stretching, I would like to be put down onto the ground before I fall and break more than just my ribs. My jacket isn't a sling, so if I fall and break everything, I'm blaming you," Alexis snapped, feeling her body slide down half-an-inch out of her forest-green jacket. Maybe she'd rat him out now, for she really had nothing substantial to gain from this truce. All she had asked really was for his cooperation, something she could somewhat live without. Starscream would hopefully never figure this out, but she'd arranged it that way so she could hold the upper hand.

"So what do you want me to do about your situation?" he asked, sounding bored. His voice cut across her train of thoughts, leaving her momentarily confused.

"_Just put me down, damn it!"_

"Touchy touchy touchy," Starscream muttered as he not so gently deposited her onto the overhanging ledge of an observation deck in the hangar. Alexis stood up and straightened her jacket, mindful of her bandaged ribs. She stuck her tongue at Starscream's back when he turned around to stretch his wings out to the full length, but immediately looked away innocently when he half-turned to glare at her.

Finally Starscream paused in his actions, and then cocked his head as though listening to something she could not hear. He even turned his head slightly in the direction of the hangar entrance. Alexis privately wished she could observe others of his kind; did they have the same quirks as Starscream had? She shuddered as another possibility occurred to her. What if she had met another transformer… without realizing it? She frowned; the cop from Mission City was involved at Los Angeles recently, and apparently hightailed out of there when the U.S. military was coming in. Wait a sec…

"Starscream?" she asked carefully.

His head jerked in her direction as if she had unexpectedly screamed at him. His head then inclined slightly to show that he was listening.

Okay then.

"By any chance, do you have a friend that is just like you, out in country, right now?" she asked, getting slightly nervous at his hesitation at the question. Was he going to be honest, or make up some fictitious story? She was pretty sure he wasn't operating alone… it wasn't in his nature. He needed somebody to boss around, that much she was sure of.

Besides, how exactly does one destroy a huge portion of a city alone?

She could tell that he was doing his version of a smirk. "Oh, trust me Alexis Preston. Barricade remembers you and your pesky friends very well. So well in fact, he could come take care of the three of you right now if he so chose to. _He's_ not bound to our 'truce' after all," Starscream informed her, smugness permeating through his voice.

_That wasn't very helpful,_ Alexis thought, scowling at Starscream. Aloud, she said, "Well, I'm just impressed that you have directly addressed me by my name for the second time in our _wonderful_ relationship." She pursed her lips while raising an eyebrow, thinking. Then she asked, "Are you going to tell me what 'Barricade' transforms into?"

Starscream didn't beat around the bush. "No," he snapped, and then paused, listening again. Finally, he scowled one more time at Alexis before retreating to the line of jets on one side of the room. He carefully folded down back into his jet form, conspicuously disappearing once more. Before Alexis could muse over the possibility of another Transformer or two, Starscream's hologram appeared at her side. For once, he wasn't dressed in the casual gear the pilots wore in down time. He was wearing proper Air Force pilot's gear, and she suspected that the images came from the World Wide Web. As he watched the hangar doors, she watched him, and privately admitted to herself that he did look like a proper officer, even if he didn't carry any rank. For a moment there, she felt like a civilian again, a child watching the officers on television in awe of their almost invincibility.

She shook her head. There was a stupid thought if she ever came across one.

The doors opened, and Alexis watched in silence as her fellow pilots walked in. She felt a slight pang of jealousy as they began to climb the ladders into the cockpits. The great hangar doors opened, and the morning sunlight poured in, illuminating the path before the F-22s that were gearing up for departure.

"What will you be doing?" Starscream asked quietly, easily slipping to the persona of Stryker Davis. Alexis noted that he seemed infinitely calmer when faced with the prospect of flight.

"Whatever General Stanton wants me to do. Tom said she had something special in mind for me. You just do as you're told, so Stanton doesn't suspect anything," Alexis muttered as Stanton walked in after the group of pilots, her blue eyes scanning the room for anything that struck her as abnormal.

"Do you ever fear that she could truly disobey her commanding officer and act independently, therefore creating another Oroville-like incident?" Starscream asked, turning to face her slightly.

Alexis mused over the question for a moment, and then shook her head. "She's too smart to openly defy the president. The last time that happened, it was in 1951, and a man named General Douglas MacArthur defied President Truman over matters in the Korean War. MacArthur wanted to invade China, Truman said no," she answered. "MacArthur was fired from his post after delivering the last disrespect to Truman. Stanton learns from past mistakes, she doesn't repeat them." She looked at Starscream. "Maybe you could learn a thing or two from us after all."

Starscream just scowled and walked down the wire steps that led him to the hangar floor. Alexis watched as he walked with the last few of the pilots and gracefully climbed onto the F-22, ignoring the ladder. He climbed into the cockpit, and the engine powered up slightly before the hatch fully closed.

"Davis certainly seems to have that grace and charm doesn't he? Especially when faced with combat."

Alexis jerked in surprise as Stanton appeared out of nowhere at her elbow. Alexis thought about it for a moment, and then murmured, "Yes, I guess he does."

"He was so grateful when I opted to take him from Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC. He had a small group of female admirers that constantly harried him throughout my visit, so I could only imagine what he went through on a daily basis. His original CO was a little hesitant about giving him up," Stanton said, watching as Starscream slowly joined the last jets leaving the hangar. She frowned as a thought occurred to her. "I had to mention Mr. Keller to get the commanding officer to cooperate with me. Men can be so damn stubborn when they choose to."

"Do you think he will fare well with the 401st?" Alexis asked carefully.

Stanton turned her head to look at Alexis. "I would not have selected him if I didn't think he would do well with us," she said quietly. "Besides, his is a rare talent. It generally takes… an _extremely_ long time to develop his kind of skills. You don't encounter extremely good pilots more than sixteen times in a lifetime," the general casually added.

_What the hell is she getting at? That she knows something about him that I don't… or she thinks that I don't,_ Alexis thought, glancing at the small half-smile on Stanton's face. It was actually kind of irritating when the general got cryptic on her subordinates. Alexis only knew of three people who saw the hidden clues, but she also knew that one of them was dead now.

Almost as though Stanton knew what Alexis was thinking about, the smile vanished, replaced by the usual stern expression. "Come with me," she ordered, and Alexis obediently followed her through a door that connected the observation deck with the small hallway on the other side.

They walked down the small hallway in silence, and Alexis vaguely recognized the route they were taking. The route would go down a floor in order to merge with the main corridor, which was technically the backbone of the base. Instead of going down the stairs to the corridor however, Stanton took an abrupt left to a lesser-used hall. Alexis wondered where she was going as Stanton stopped at a small, unmarked door and turned to face her.

"Alexis, this is what I want you to do today. You will be on the observation balcony with Thomas, two guests, and myself. I want you to wear this during the flight exercises," she said, pulling out a small headset from some hidden pocket. Alexis took it from her, careful of the thin metal band that connected the two earpieces and the small mouthpiece that was connected to the right side of the device. Stanton continued, saying, "This device is wired directly to Davis's frequency, and _only_ his frequency. He would have to switch you to the team frequency in order for you to communicate with the other pilots. As for today, your job is to stay in contact with him and pretend that you are up there with the rest of them. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am," Alexis replied, turning the device over in her hands. She pressed the tiny button on the right earpiece, and a green light appeared immediately. "Thank you ma'am," she said once she remembered her manners.

Stanton merely smiled and turned to open the door, but stopped when she remembered something. "Oh, and Alexis?" she asked, catching the pilot's attention. "Let's keep the device a secret between you, me and Davis," she said in a casual manner as she pressed in her ID code into a previously hidden panel. "It appears that private and confidential information is no longer secure and safe nowadays, which is really a shame."

Alexis wondered if that meant Stanton knew that Ari had stolen the latest passwords and used them. Then again, nothing was safe or secure when Starscream began poking around electronic records at his leisure.

She slipped on the headset as General Stanton opened the door that lead to the outdoors. To Alexis's pleasant surprise, she found herself on an observation balcony near the rooftop of the base. She turned and noticed that base seemingly melted into the side of the cliff, and realized that the rock disguised the energy signatures from any radar spy equipment or any satellite imagery.

No wonder Stanton ordered that the labs within the base be located near the back. So they would be hidden from any onlookers.

Alexis approached the thin white railing of the balcony and peered over, her curiosity getting the better of her. She saw the runway extend into the desert, but suddenly stop. The desert spread out before her, the sun's rays reflecting off the sand and spraying glittering colors over the landscape. If she squinted, she could barely make out the road, a thin gray line close to horizon. The blue sky arched above it all, promising a glorious day.

The one thing she couldn't see were the F-22 jets, but she was sure they were near the entrance of the runway, preparing for take-off.

"All pilots are on stand by. If they don't go soon, someone is going to start a fight, and we'll be testing the weaponry a lot sooner than we planned," Tom said, adjusting a few controls on a panel that lined a long part of the railing.

"Why would they be fighting?" Alexis asked.

"Call signs," Tom said, a smile threatening to break out on his face. "Apparently the new guys don't like theirs now that the veterans have found some way to poke fun about it."

"They'll get over it. They will need to stop acting like children and more like soldiers if we can ever hope to reach our old standards," Stanton snapped. Alexis could tell that the general's patience was wearing thin with her pilots, another indication that something was up. In the past, Stanton had been more tolerant of her pilots' antics, and had even partaken in a few of whatever pranks the pilots came up with.

If Tom noticed anything, he didn't say it aloud. He made eye contact with Alexis and just shrugged. Alexis however was slightly pleased to learn that she could still hear other people with the headset on.

"I finally got through to the CO at Edwards Air Force base. He agreed to your request, mainly to make amends for Mission City," Tom said.

"Good. We can use the Fifty-first in the friend or foe exercises," Stanton said, walking to the railing to survey the surrounding desert. "Today is a good day for a flight."

"Yeah, kind of makes you wish you could get in the cockpit and get out there with them," Tom added, staring as well.

Alexis felt slightly awkward by standing there and eavesdropping on their conversation. So she went and sat down quietly by a blond-haired woman who was reprimanding her friend for stealing something from the mess hall. Her friend just shrugged and put on a pair of sunglasses to indicate he was ignoring her.

"Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes is aware that I will forgive him for Mission City when hell freezes over correct?"

Tom shrugged. "I guess you could say it's implied," he said, handing the small microphone over to Stanton. "Let's get this show on the road shall we?"

Stanton walked over to the control panel, and stood next to Tom. "Attention 401st pilots. This is General Stanton speaking. The numbers issued to you yesterday indicate the order of departure. Once in the air, perform a circular pattern around the base until I deliver the next set of orders. Number one, you are cleared for departure."

"Screamer?" Alexis whispered into the mouthpiece, keeping her voice down in case the two guests next to her were listening.

"_**Aliskevicz, if you heckle me one more time about the Pit-spawned call sign…"**_ Starscream threatened, leaving Alexis to wonder what Ari had been doing over the radio to him. She also realized that Starscream was unaware of the general's arrangement. She hoped he would keep his mouthpiece shut about this.

"No, Starscream, it's me, Alexis Preston. The general found a way for us to stay in contact and before you complain, bear in mind that I can hear what Stanton is planning _way _before she even gives the orders," Alexis reassured him. "Now what is this about Ari?"

There was a momentary silence, and Alexis imagined Starscream muttering to himself about some new injustice. There was a sudden roar of the engine, and Alexis surmised that it must have been his turn to take flight. Finally Starscream said, _**"Aliskevicz was, ah, teasing me, as you humans put it. I was about to shoot her from behind, but I didn't do so in the end."**_

Alexis shuddered at the imagery of what _could've_ happened. "What stopped you?" she asked, unsure if she wanted to know or not.

"_**Your communication."**_

She was right. She was better off not knowing.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Alexis answered, turning slightly in her sear to face the speaker. It was the blond-haired woman to her right, one of Stanton's guests.

"Hello, my name is Maggie Madsen." She said, extending a hand.

"Alexis Preston. You're, uh, one of the data analysts that Ari went to go get the general's passwords from, right?" Alexis said, accepting the offered hand and shook it. Maggie nodded grimly while glancing at the general's back at the mention of the passwords.

"Yeah, Arianna is quite the bargainer, isn't she?" Maggie remarked cautiously.

"Just be glad you weren't at Quincy Market in Boston with us when we were stationed at Fort Devon back in 2004. Ari drove the stall owner crazy when she was trying to get the ultimate bargain of the year." Alexis said, smiling slightly at the memory.

"I can imagine." Maggie remarked dryly. She hesitated, and then asked, "I was just wondering, but did she ever tell you why she needed them?"

"She never told me why but she probably needed them for blackmail material, that's all. She likes to be 'prepared'." Alexis explained, careful to keep her voice down.

The two women continued discussing Ari's potential motives, more or less aware of their audience, Stanton may have been facing forward, but she wasn't deaf. She resisted rolling her eyes in annoyance as the analyst and the pilot discussing Aliskevicz's bargaining skills and Stanton's passwords. At least they confirmed the general's suspicions that the woman analyst was doing something other than translating.

"Aliskevicz, knock it off, or I'll let Davis take care of you, understand, soldier?" Tom suddenly snapped into the microphone near the electronic board. Stanton didn't hear Arianna response, but Tom merely growled and cut the link. "She's hassling Davis about the call signs," he muttered to Stanton.

"Damn, does she ever take a break?" Stanton asked, pulling her sunglasses out of her pocket and slipped them on. Tom watched his commander silently, reminded of the powerful woman who had stormed up the stairs of the Supreme Court Building in 2005 to protest her sentence. For a second, he saw the woman who had broken free of the FBI agents who had been restraining her so that she could slug Simmons in the middle of her own trial. Tom knew better to let his guard down of course, because he knew that this woman also made names and histories disappear, yet plead innocent of all charges. He knew of her duplicity, a characteristic that ran deeper than most people knew or assumed. That was what made dealing with her mostly dangerous.

"Preston! Tell Davis that those guys are on our side! We don't need friendly casualties!" Tom yelled as the 51st appeared on the horizon, coming in towards the base. Stanton frowned, and then saw that Stryker was bringing his weapons online. She heard Alexis repeat the order to Davis, who apparently objected to it, for Alexis began trying to calm him down.

Stanton knew there was something different about Stryker Davis. She wasn't going to tell anyone, but it when she first met Stryker Davis, there was something off about him, something that required a closer look. So she brought him here to Area 51 so she could keep a closer eye on him. Stanton would never reveal to either Davis or Preston, but she knew that Davis had in fact left the base without permission on more than one occasion, and that she didn't believe the story about the fireworks in the hangar. Davis on his own was a formidable opponent, but when teamed with Alexis's stubbornness, the two of them were unstoppable. She knew better than to try and call out two stubborn people on a lie.

Stanton frowned; there were fourteen of her F-22s carrying out the orders Tom had been giving. Somebody was missing.

"Who is missing Tom?" she asked, not looking away from the jets.

"White. He got sick last night, and his flight partner determined that it was the flu, so I told him to go down see the doctor today. There is nothing worse than throwing up in your helmet, trust me" Tom said, checking something on the panel. "Preston, can you ask Davis to keep his mouth shut? It isn't smart to offend someone when cannons are out."

Alexis snorted. "You're telling me?" she asked, and then relayed the message.

"General, there have been serious tensions between White and Davis," Tom said, lowering his voice so Alexis behind him couldn't catch his words.

"About what?" Stanton asked, feeling that she already knew the answer.

Tom didn't answer, just jerked his head in Alexis's direction.

Stanton rolled her eyes. "Give it some time Tom. Davis and White are both young men, Preston is a young woman," she said, waving the concern off. "Preston, Aliskevicz, and Williams are the only young ladies on the squadron, and the personnel tend to keep to their own groups. That means that they are the only female presence the two of them are generally exposed to daily, and Aliskevicz is already close with Collins while Williams works closely with Mackerson. That leaves Preston. However, if one of them reports misconduct, I want you to report to me immediately and the guilty party will be sent home."

"What if it gets to violence?" Tom asked.

Stanton mused over it, and then said, "Then my money is on Davis." She flashed a smile in Tom's direction, assuring him that she was only kidding.

Tom was quiet for a moment, weighing the advantages and disadvantages between the two men in question, and then said, "My money is on White." He turned to face Stanton and said "I heard a rumor that he kissed her on the cheek the other day."

Stanton snorted and answered, "Stryker has an ego and a protective streak the size of the Grand Canyon. If anyone, it will be Davis."

"How much are you betting?"

"How about the cost of a dinner at Baja Fresh the next time we're in DC?" Stanton offered.

"Deal."

Tom shook his head as Stanton went back to focusing on the pilots. He could hear Alexis trying to placate Davis over something else that had happened. He put on his headset so he could listen onto the radio conversations between the pilots. Apparently one of the 51st pilots had insulted Davis's flying prowess, and team members were rallying to the support of their respective teammate. Riley and Ari were the loudest advocates in Davis's defense on the 401st side, and some guy named Henry was loudest on the 51st side. Well, as the lesson goes, there's nothing like an insult to get the team to work together.

"What on earth are they doing?" Stanton asked, catching onto Tom's irritation.

"Shouting match. Just insults being hurled. Don't you love it when they all work together?" Tom asked, the sarcasm evident in his tone.

"They'll have to get used to it. The Fifty-first pilots are staying here for lunch, and will be working with the Four-oh-first later for the evening portion of this exercise. Call them in. We've been at this for hours. I will see you inside," Stanton said, and then swiftly left the balcony.

Tom relayed the orders, and watched as the jets competed to be the first on the ground. He rolled his eyes; it was going to be all fun and games until somebody crashed. "Hey guys! All Fifty-first jets go to the east runway. That's your hangar for the duration of your stay here! So knock it off!" he snapped over the link and then cut it.

He gestured for Alexis to go down and soothe Davis down, and she obediently left. Stanton was right; he himself had seen the battle lines drawn between Davis and White. He didn't really give a damn over the winner, he just fretted that if a push came to a shove, it was Alexis who would be caught in the middle. Tom knew he owed the girl more than she knew, and his debt would be worth zilch if she got injured just because two men had raging hormones to hard to control.

He shut the panel off, and then gestured for Stanton's guests, Whitmann and Madsen, to follow him back into the base for lunch.

Tom had a feeling that lunch was going to be hell if there weren't any officers around to mediate or stop the impending fight.

--------------

A/N: Here's a little tidbit of story-related trivia: in the planning drafts for this story, the 401st squadron's original number was '501st'. The number was then changed to avoid confusion with 501st stormtrooper legions from Star Wars. The change occurred after I decided to post the first chapter. Also, if anyone is curious, Baja Fresh is a real Mexican restaurant, and one of my favorites.


	22. The Guardian

Chapter Twenty-two

The Guardian

Alexis was the first person in the hangar, ahead of any other 401st personnel still inside the base. She was embarrassed to admit this, but she had been chatting with Maggie Madsen about the best attractions in DC when the alleged insult had been delivered. She only realized that something was wrong when she heard Starscream screeching human and alien profanities over the link at top volume… _talk about a strong set of lungs, or whatever the hell he's got for lungs_, she thought irritably. Alexis figured that she would go deaf the next time he screeched in her ears without warning.

She stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the observation deck as the jets rolled in. The device was tucked away in a zippered pocket inside her jacket, safe from sight and possible loss. Since the device only allowed her to hear Starscream's end of conversations, she didn't know what exactly spurred on the fight. Hopefully one of her teammates could give her a non-biased, non-warped version of the story.

Starscream may have been the first one in the hangar, but Riley was the first pilot to clamber out of the aircraft. Alexis could hear him sputtering unintelligible things as he worked the clasps of his helmet. The other five jets from the hangar rolled in, and three of them came to jerky stops, indicating to Alexis that the pilots weren't thinking straight or properly.

Thoughts of murder did tend to consume all intuition and common sense after all.

"Only Toby could be so crass enough to say something like that. I could just _kill _him for that… I actually would if Stryker hadn't called dibs already," Riley growled, forcefully yanking the top part of his flight suit off. He threw the flight suit part into the cockpit along with his helmet, and then sealed the cockpit. "Can you believe that _loser?_" he bellowed as he jumped down from the jet's wing.

"I say we give them the traditional Area 51 greeting… at night," Andrew spat as he climbed out and joined Starscream's hologram in walking across the jet wings until they both reached the last jet. Then Andrew jumped to the ground first, and then Starscream followed. Both of them completed the jump gracefully, which forced Alexis to remember when she fell off of Riley's jet and sprained her ankle.

"What exactly happened?" Alexis asked, grabbing Starscream's shirt collar as he tried to walk by. She ignored the soft hiss from him when he realized that she wasn't letting him go anytime soon.

"Eh, well, Davis was doing something funky in the jet..." Tyler began.

"He was setting up for strafing run over the highway. Turns out he's got issues with yellow sports cars and black pick-up trucks. _That _was my favorite part," Ari interrupted, pulling out her ponytail and shaking her hair out. "Screamer, you're going to have to tell me how to set up a run like that on small targets. Then I wanna practice on Riley's new Honda Civic."

"I hear that Toby's Toyota makes for better target practice. It's bigger," Riley countered, momentarily forgetting his anger.

"Back to the point. Tobias criticized Stryker's flying style, and soon they were bickering over who was the better flier. They were setting up to duel it out this evening when Sergeant Wilson asked you to tell Stryker to knock it off, Tobias thought it was rather amusing that such a fierce fighter received orders from a girl," Marcia said, interrupting Riley. "Then Ari took the remark rather personally, and immediately called Tobias a 'backstabber' in reference to his failure to support us at Mission City. Tobias said, 'takes one to know one', and for some odd reason, Stryker took personal offense."

Alexis released Starscream's collar. She remembered when he told her that he plotted against his previous leader, and she'd surmised that betrayal was on a whole different level for him than it was for her. Better for him to vent on Toby rather than her.

"Come on slow pokes! We've got fish to fry!" Riley yelled, and the three women watched as the Stryker and Riley lead the group of men into the main corridor, presumably to regroup with the other pilots. Alexis felt a little pity for the 51st pilots; if they had known the truth about 'Stryker', they wouldn't have been so quick to shoot their mouths off. But what was done was done, and now they had an enraged transforming alien coming to hunt them down.

"What's the rest of the story?" she asked as Marcia and Ari began walking with her to the hangar door.

"So after the backstabbing remark, Stryker must've sent a text communication because all we heard was something like bells and whistles coming from his link. In response, Tobias simply called Davis a coward for not sassing properly 'like a man'. Then he went on to say that it was General Stanton's fault that we got decimated at Mission City. We've acquired quite a reputation back at headquarters," Marcia continued.

"Of course you know the rule. If you insult the squadron commander, you insult _everybody_. Then Riley threatened to do bodily harm to Toby, but Screamer called dibs so Riley had to settle for Toby's second-in-command, who is some dunce named Henry. Idiot thought he was in a simulator," Ari piped up.

Ah. Alexis understood the situation now. Male egos and prides were on the line… that was it.

"Stryker is not going to listen to me anymore is he?" Alexis asked, knowing that it was her request that kicked things off and really got the fight underway.

"On the contrary, he's actually interested in seeing you fly. Riley told Tobias that Marcia, Andrew and you were actually the three best fliers in the squadron, since, well, you know, the captain's and the lieutenant's death. Stryker's interest is a good thing, because it shows that he's interested in you," Ari answered, grinning broadly. Alexis rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed was an analysis of her non-existent social life. Ari however thought otherwise and continued speaking. "You're interested in him too because you haven't booted him out of your life yet."

"Who knows? Maybe I'll kick him out tomorrow," Alexis joked, attempting to ignore the implications if Ari was right for once. "Did he really target two cars?" she asked, attempting to divert the conversation.

It worked. Ari's attention span was sometimes just as big as the attention span of a gnat. "There were two cars on the highway, a yellow sports car and a black GMC by the looks of it, and both were going away from Mission City. Stryker set up for a fly-over that was parallel with the road, but going in the opposite direction of the cars. He began the procedures for a strafing run, clearly aiming for the two cars, when Toby criticized the flight pattern. Then, well, you know how it ends," Ari explained.

"That wasn't really smart. Someone could have been killed," Alexis said, allowing disapproval to seep into her tone.

"Speaking of people getting killed, we'd better hurry to the mess hall and try to prevent the inevitable bloodbath from breaking out. Stanton is not going to be very happy about the behavioral issues right now," Marcia warned.

"Stanton is _never_ happy anymore. She's only thrilled when Simmons is about to do something incredibly embarrassing in public," Ari whined, throwing an arm around Alexis and sagging her weight, nearly toppling Alexis over onto the ground. "Of course, I don't care what anybody says as long as I get to punch Henry in the nose."

"Just the nose? I figured you would want to hurt him more than just that. You know, hurt him so bad that he can't walk," Alexis observed knowing that her friend had the tendency to inflict as much injury as possible in a fight.

"Riley got that job, and Toby is Stryker's victim. All the good targets were taken," Ari grumbled as Marcia pushed the mess hall doors open.

The battle hadn't begun yet, but the front lines were already drawn. The 401st pilots and technicians had combined a few tables together to make the plotting amongst the team easier. At some point Riley and the other pilots had thought to change into more comfortable lounge clothing, and Alexis thought it was slightly amusing to see the blue colors creating one blue mass, with a few exceptions of black from the clothes of the 401st technicians. The other Area 51 personnel must have caught onto the murderous atmosphere and had steered clear of the center of the mess hall. Alexis spotted Rosie glancing anxiously at the pilots from the kitchens, and then Alexis saw the empty tables that marked the places of the 51st.

"Come on you guys. We've been waiting to finalize a few things," Riley said from where he was sitting at Starscream's left. Marcia and Ari walked over to the others as Alexis paused to adjust her jacket back over the bandages around her middle.

Suddenly, Alexis was unexpectedly yanked backwards. She let out a yelp as someone from behind yanked her ponytail up and held her there. Thankfully, whoever it was wasn't strong enough to pull her completely off the ground, but her head still hurt.

Her cry had caught the attention of a few of the pilots who quickly alerted Riley and Starscream. Starscream immediately got out of the chair and began to advance on her attackers, but Riley caught his arm and struggled to stop him. "Davis, stop. You're giving those losers what they want. Preston can hold it out on her own I think… I hope," she heard Riley say to him, but his words seemed to have little effect on Starscream's attitude. The double doors leading to the kitchen opened, and Alexis recoiled slightly when Rosie came out of the kitchen with a thick ceramic rolling pin in her hands, and in plain sight.

"Is this young lady with you?" a man asked, coming into Alexis's view from behind. He had a light brown hair and an easygoing expression, and Alexis guessed that this was the famous Tobias Jackson. She would have been interested in becoming friends, but she had no doubt that her captor had been acting under Tobias's orders, so that ruled out her favor for him.

"Yes!" Riley suddenly yelled, interrupting Alexis's thoughts.

"Huh. No wonder you guys lost at Mission City," Tobias remarked, walking towards the 51st side of the mess hall.

Alexis didn't exactly hear Riley's response, but she'd had enough for one day. She hesitated momentarily, and jammed a right backwards elbow into her assailant's ribcage. He howled and immediately dropped her to the ground, and she scrambled away from him before he could kick her or something awful like that.

Starscream appeared out of nowhere, bent down, and hauled Alexis carefully to her feet. "Are you all right?" he hissed as she shook slightly, trying to regain her balance.

Alexis could see that a muscle was twitching in his jaw. "I'm fine," she hissed back. "Just a little sore, and I may have a new bruise or two from that fall." Starscream held her steady with both hands on her shoulder before not-too-gently passing her off to Ari who was waiting off to the side. Ari carefully supported her, and took her to a seat at the 401st table so that Alexis was well out of the line of fire. Alexis twisted around in her seat so that she could see what the men were doing.

Tobias and Henry were standing in the front of the 51st pilots, attempting to restrain possible retaliation. Starscream and Riley were in front of the advancing 401st pack, and Alexis gulped when she saw that Starscream's hands were twitching slightly. Brave Tobias entered a glaring contest with Starscream, both men growing more and more tense as time crawled by. Tobias suddenly stepped forward so that he was right in Starscream's face, and even though Alexis couldn't hear what he said, she lip-read the word 'backstabber' escape Tobias's mouth.

Everything happened so fast. Starscream's hands left his side and found their way around Tobias's neck. Henry howled and lunged forward to defend his captain, but Riley head-butted him back, and both men fell back onto a few other 51st pilots.

"Six bucks says that Toby is going to pass out before one of his goons can knock Davis off of him," Ari said, watching as 51st pilots ganged up on Starscream in an attempt to bring him down. As they did however, Jackson and Andrew peeled them off of Starscream's back and threw them to the mercy of the other 401st pilots. In the meantime, two brawny 51st men were trying to separate Riley and Henry. Alexis winced as Jackson kneed his opponent, who collapsed, then crawled away. The man was struggling to retain what little dignity he had left, but Andrew dealt the final blow by nudging one of the man's elbows, causing it to collapse and forced the man to fall to the ground. Only then was the man left alone.

Tobias was doing a remarkable job of holding out on his own. Alexis could see that he was holding Starscream's arms right above the wrists, struggling to prevent him from tightening his grip. Starscream held an expression of intense concentration, and Alexis knew he had to be holding back; Starscream had the capability to kill Tobias instantly, yet the latter was still standing, alive and breathing.

_Pchowww!_

At the sound of the gunshot, everyone froze. Riley scrambled off of Henry, who was sporting a bloody nose, and immediately stood at attention. Starscream slowly released Tobias, who stumbled back into the 51st ranks. Alexis jerked and turned to see what had caused the noise… and gulped.

Stanton and Tom had arrived to the mess hall at some point, and Stanton looked _angry._ She was holding a small black pistol that was still aimed at the ceiling, and Alexis could see faint smoke curling up from the weapon. "Four-oh-first personnel, head back to your seats! Fifty-first pilots, get to the other side!" Stanton barked. "Rosie, I want the kitchen staff to serve lunch since they are obviously too immature to get it themselves without a fight." She waited until Rosie had saluted and left back to the kitchens before casting a look at the pilots who were still standing in the middle of the mess hall where the fight had occurred. "Go or the roof won't be the only thing around here with a hole in it," Stanton snapped, pulling back the hammer on the gun in warning.

At that threat the pilots immediately went to their respective sides, both parties grumbling. Starscream sat down at Alexis's left while Ari remained on Alexis's right. Riley claimed the seat across the table from Starscream, muttering profane comments. Tyler wedged himself between Marcia and Ari as the other 401st personnel filled in the seats around them.

"Excuse me?"

Ari and Alexis turned to see Rad there, smiling at the pair of them. He looked fine, and Alexis wondered if he'd really been sick or that was just an excuse not to work with Starscream. "May I sit between you two fine young ladies?" he asked, flashing a flirtatious smile. Alexis gripped Starscream's hand underneath the table in warning; strangling the enemy was fine, but strangling his own teammate was next to unacceptable at the moment.

"No." Ari snapped. "I like my seat. Get your own."

Rad put his hands up in mock surrender and leaned down by Alexis's ear and whispered, "How are you this fine afternoon mademoiselle?"

Alexis turned her expression of pain into a forced smile as Starscream's hand turned underneath the table and gripped four of her fingers in his tight grasp, which only got tighter as he grew angrier. "I am fine thank you. You should probably sit down before Stanton catches you. She is not in the best of moods right now," she said in a sweet tone that did not betray what was going on underneath the tabletop. _Please go before Starscream crushes the bones in my fingers. He hates you, and that much is obvious, so make this easier on both of us and scram!_

"Yeah, I should. Hey listen, but I was wondering if you wanted to join me later in the rec room while the others were working tonight. You game for a little _Halo_?" he asked, moving out of the waiter's way so that the man could put down the dinner plates. Rad moved back although closer when the waiter disappeared.

"I have to see what the general has in mind for tonight. Sorry," Alexis said, kicking Starscream's leg to get him to release. If anything, it only made him more irritated and the pressure increased. "I hope to fly soon, assuming that _someone_ doesn't break my fingers into pieces first," she growled, turning away from Rad to glare at Starscream, who was now innocently eating with his left hand. He turned to her and frowned, faking his confusion over the reason why she was glaring at him.

"Well, I'll talk to Stanton. She should see to reason, since you already participated earlier today," Rad said, and then leaned down to kiss her cheek lightly again. Alexis once again faked a smile of shyness to cover up the grimace of pain.

"Do you know what you need?" she hissed as Rad walked away. "A freaking stress ball. That way, you can't break my fingers, but still get as angry as you want."

"I'm not entirely too sure that I know what you're talking about," Starscream said in an innocent tone, picking at his food now.

Alexis rolled her eyes and went back to eating.

"Look at those losers, sitting and eating here as they are the real owners of the place," Riley seethed, eyeing the 51st pilots since he had a good angle on them from where he was sitting. Alexis noticed that Charlie had resurfaced and Riley was stroking the area between the raccoon's ears. Charlie was anxiously licking his master's face, as though trying to alert Riley to a potential danger.

Ari leaned forward and said, "Hey guys, you want to know something? I spoke to Whitmann earlier, when you guys were duking it out, and he said that General Stanton and Sarge have a bet going. The stakes are price of dinner at Baja Fresh the next time they're in DC. He didn't know what the terms were, but I want to bet my next paycheck that Tom is going to win. He won the last one between him and Randall."

"I'm not that stupid. Pass." Riley snapped. Charlie made a chattering sound at his master's sharp tone, and Riley rubbed the raccoon reassuringly.

"I'll take you up on it," Tyler offered. He leaned over slightly and took Ari's outstretched hand and sealed the deal with a handshake. Alexis rolled her eyes when she spotted the crossed fingers behind Ari's back; Ari was worried about winning. That was new, but then again, Stanton always had a card up her sleeve to ensure a victory, and not even Ari knew when the general was going to pull it.

"Preston."

Alexis and Starscream turned to see Stanton standing there. She looked down on Alexis and said, "I want you to go to Doctor Sasquatch and have a brace fitted around your torso. I want you in the air tonight." She turned to Starscream and said, "Davis, Sergeant Wilson wants a word with you now, up at his table, stat."

"Try not to get mad at him," Alexis whispered as she stood up with him. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as they walked up to the officers' table. "Good luck."

Starscream just nodded and watched her leave. To him, she seemed more fragile than the Witwicky boy and the Banes girl, despite the fact that she was older than the two. She seemed to follow some unwritten set of rules and her own personal agenda, and seemed to have a level of tolerance for him that not even Megatron had.

Now it was time to deal with the human sergeant. The man had a temper that could rival Barricade's, and that wasn't a good thing. Wilson had very little tolerance for troublemakers, and seemed to know the right techniques to bring the rabble-rousers back into line. Starscream knew that whatever the other humans said, Wilson was the real second-in-command, not Commander Randall, and Wilson made a threatening team with the group leader Stanton. Even the humans weren't stupid enough to not recognize the threat the pair presented.

When he arrived to the designated officers' table, Starscream found Wilson talking to the kitchen female about the food that had been served for the midday meal. Of course to Starscream the food had tasted terrible; how humans managed to consume large portions of the awful stuff was beyond his comprehension. When Starscream reached the table, Wilson promptly dismissed the female and gestured for him to sit down. Starscream did, although he was internally ready for a confrontation.

"So, how is the whole thing with Preston going?" Tom asked without preamble.

"Very well," Starscream answered, determined to barely answer the questions. It always seemed to irritate humans when only half the question or problem was solved. They were such impatient creatures, and that explained why they had progressed so fast. One hundred of their years ago the females of their race were still fighting for equality. Now a female was bossing them all around.

Everything went fast for them.

Tom seemed to ignore the answer. "Tonight the general wants the two of you flying together. Some crap about inter-flight cooperation and handling orders under stress and pressure," the sergeant said, taking a bite from his lunch. When he swallowed, Wilson said, "She trusts you enough for that, but I don't. I feel that you and Preston are making up stories to keep the general and I satisfied."

Starscream recalled the one spat he and Preston got into and he had pinned her against the wall in anger. He had told her that Stanton was the only bar preventing him from killing her right then and there, but he had made a critical error. Stanton's protection extended over all of the pilots because they were her responsibility. Wilson favored Preston for some unknown reason. Alexis Preston was safe from harm as long as Sergeant Thomas Wilson was alive… but Starscream wasn't going to tell her that.

Wilson proved Starscream's assumption correct a few seconds later by saying, "I'm not trying to discourage anything between you, in fact, it's probably better that Preston becomes closer with her teammates, but I swear if anything happens to her on your account, whether it is a simple accident or utter annihilation of this base, I will be holding you responsible. If she is emotionally or physically hurt in any way shape or form, I swear that you will be in front of the tribunal faster than you can blink." Tom leaned forward slightly and hissed, "Are we on the same page Airman?"

"Yes sir," Starscream answered stiffly, evaluating the sergeant. Starscream decided that the protectiveness wasn't a mate-to-mate protectiveness, but rather a parent-to-offspring protectiveness. No doubt that Wilson knew that Preston was going to fly that night, and was only ensuring that she was coming back alive after the exercise.

"You are not permitted to repeat this discussion to Preston. She would chew me out if she knew that I was trying to protect her. Not that she minds, it's just she's been independent since she was sixteen and seems to think that means that she doesn't need a man to help her along. She probably wants to be equals with her future husband, not dependent or subservient," Tom said, finishing up the broccoli on his plate. He made a face and muttered something about taking the vegetable off the menu for the next week or so.

"So… if she is independent, then why does she follow orders?" Starscream asked, slightly confused by the arrangement.

Tom shrugged. "Girls are fickle about stuff like that. Only the Lord and other women know how the female mind operates. I've worked with Toni for almost eighteen years and she still finds ways to surprise me. Don't try to analyze them; the job will keep you up for hours at night," he said. He cast a look to the 401st table and remarked, "You should get back now. Doctor Sasquatch didn't need Preston long."

Starscream stood without another word and walked back to the table, keeping an eye on a few 51st pilots who were walking around. Alexis gave him a small smile as he sat back down again.

"What did Tom want?" she whispered.

With a straight face, Starscream said, "He was merely speaking about the… _misconduct_ from earlier. Now what did the doctor want?"

Alexis gave him a look that suggested that she didn't believe him, but she turned back to her plate. "He was preparing a brace that should immobilize my ribcage so I can fly tonight with the rest of you guys. I have to go back around five to try it on," she said.

"It is so aggravating. Stanton is definitely mocking us," Riley suddenly interrupted growling out his sentence. Charlie made a growling sound as well. Alexis was convinced that the raccoon was psychic to the point where it knew what Riley was thinking. It was either that or Charlie was well trained. "I hate how we have to work _them_ tonight too."

Ari had just about enough of Riley's complaining. "Then make your damn pet useful and make it attack them or something," she snapped before stabbing her chicken.

Riley went quiet for a moment, and Alexis got a sinking feeling in her stomach as a nasty grin appeared on Riley's face. "Ari, that was actually a good idea," he said slowly. Before anyone could stop him, he lowered his head by Charlie's ear and whispered, "Sic 'em boy, and show them who the real masters of Area 51 are."

The raccoon made another chattering sound before climbing off of Riley's lap onto the floor. Alexis was among the few who turned to watch the raccoon dart across the mess hall and vanish underneath the 51st table. Riley smirked, no doubt thinking of the pandemonium that was about to occur.

It was Henry who spotted it first. "Uh, guys, what the hell is that?" he asked, and then his eyes widened as he recognized the creature. "_Rabid animal in the house!" _he shouted, jumping out of his seat and backing away.

The others only caught on when Charlie leaped onto the table and began trampling all over the plates and stealing random food bits off different plates. Chaos ensued as the pilots all tried to kill Charlie, and Alexis could tell that none of them had guns. Plates and silverware were the weapons in this case, and Charlie was outsmarting them all.

"Poor idiots. I trained Charlie using plates and silverware. They're not going to kill him," Riley remarked between laughs.

"Tom or Stanton isn't going to kill Charlie either. See? They left already," Ari said, gesturing to the mess hall doors. Alexis watched as Tom left, close behind the general. Then she noticed Tobias use the confusion of the raccoon chase to follow the two leaders out as well. She wondered if there was something going on… nah. Tobias's CO was Rhodes, and everyone knew that Stanton hated Rhodes because of the issue of no reinforcements at Mission City.

"I am interested in seeing your prowess at the controls. I've been informed that you are among the best fliers in the squadron," Starscream muttered as she finished up eating her lunch.

"So I heard," she answered, glaring at Ari, who smirked knowingly. "Whoever told you was probably exaggerating." She looked at him and asked, "Why, are you a little scared that human _might_ be better at flying than you are? That's kind of stupid, seeing that you're a giant, technological-oriented being…"

A small grin appeared on his face, and she realized the implied challenge. She had to keep a better lid on her mouth. "I will speak to General Stanton about staying out after the exercise so we may conduct our little contest," Starscream answered, a secretive smile on his face.

"What? You asked for it," Ari said when Alexis glared at her.

Alexis scowled as she stood up to throw her trash away. She threw the trash away, and then walked out of the mess hall, elbowing Starscream in the back as she walked past him. Both he and Ari watched as Alexis seemingly darted out of the mess hall, as though to deter Starscream from giving chase.

Ari rolled her eyes. Trying to get two stubborn people to cooperate with each other was like trying to force two magnetic poles together… when the poles were the same. A feat that was technically possible, but extremely difficult to accomplish.

-------------

"Please sit down. I don't want you wearing yourself out unnecessarily before tonight's exercises," Stanton said, gesturing to the seat across the desk before she herself sat down in her padded chair behind the oak table.

Tobias Jackson smiled casually as he sat down across from her. She watched as he scanned the office walls, taking in the numerous photographs and framed newspaper clippings. Stanton acknowledged Tom's arrival into the office as her sergeant returned and sat down in a chair that was next to the wall, his customary seat.

"Hey Tom, how's it going man?" Tobias asked, grinning when he spotted the sergeant. "New rookies too wild to control?"

"Well, definitely when you rile them up. Nice job by the way. I think we achieved the objective," Tom said, glancing at Stanton. "Wouldn't you say so ma'am?"

Stanton sighed, looking at the two men. It was not public knowledge, but Jackson was one of few agents who were her only connections to the outside world while she was in Area 51. She had called Jackson two weeks ago with a proposition that would hopefully divert him and his pilots from their tedious work at Edwards Air Force base, and yet at the same time heal the cracks in the 401st. She asked Jackson to purposely start a fight between squadrons so that the 401st pilots would work together to defend their honor. A smile twitched at her face when she remembered supplying Stryker Davis's information, letting Jackson know which pilot was the most temperamental and therefore most likely to start a fight. All Jackson had to do was wait for Davis to make one little error, and then make a snide remark about it. Needless to say, the incident had flowed according to plan.

"I agree," she finally said, catching and holding Tobias's attention. "It worked better than I anticipated. You successfully brought Stryker back into line, although I think threatening Preston was unnecessary." She leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Tom and I suspect there is a relationship triangle with Davis, White, and Preston. I don't want to lose one of my best just because he threatened the wrong person."

"I suspected as much. Rad White paid me fifty bucks to put Preston in serious danger so he could swoop in and save the day. Judging from Davis's reaction to the act however, I realized that I was treading on thin ice with both men," Tobias said, massaging his neck slightly. Stanton frowned when she spotted a few faint bruises forming around his collarbone. "Davis has one hell of a grip," he continued. "Don't punish him or anything though. He had good intentions, even if it didn't seem that way at lunch."

"Between White and Davis, who do you think Preston should go for?" Tom asked suddenly. Stanton rolled her eyes; it was just like Tom to find any way to hedge the bet into his favor.

"I think it all depends on Preston's taste. Some girls like their men to be a challenge, others like their men to be compliant. If I really had to choose, I would put my money on Davis," Tobias said, grinning. "He's willing to go as far as murder to protect somebody."

"Anything new from Washington?" Stanton asked anxiously, changing the subject to more pressing matters than the gamble with White and Davis.

"A bit," Tobias answered. "Lucy finally got through with limited information. Keller is still keeping Los Angeles and Mission City tight under wraps, and she keeps seeing him talking with army Captain William Lennox, Agent Simmons, and a third man who hasn't been identified. The third man has a Peterbilt semi though, she did see that."

Stanton frowned. Why on earth would Keller need a Peterbilt eighteen-wheeler? Those trucks were supposed to be huge, cumbersome, and a whole load of trouble. "Were there any logos on the trailer?" Stanton asked.

"She said there wasn't a trailer."

Stanton stared at Tobias. No trailer? What _was_ Keller up to? "Tell Lucy to figure out what game the Secretary of Defense is playing. I don't like this at all, especially since Simmons is involved," she said, typing in a few commands in on her computer so that the program would automatically take notes on the conversation it was recording. The conversation itself was password and alarm protected under the 'Reginald Simmons' folder, where most of the secret dealings went.

"Um, Lucy also sent this for you," Tobias said, pulling out a wrinkled envelope. "She was pretending to be an Air Force Airman Basic when Nani gave it to her and told her to pass it along to you." He leaned forward with the letter-sized envelope.

Stanton held her breath as she took the envelope from Tobias. At least her mother, Naira 'Nani' Rodriguez, gave it to the right agent this time. Stanton knew her mother disapproved of this method, but both women knew there was no other real solution. Stanton looked at the addressee, and scanned it over.

The envelope was addressed to her, but written in five-year old scrawl. What tore Stanton's heart was that address was some fictional place in France. Stanton knew that her eldest son had told her youngest daughter that she, Stanton, was in France on diplomatic business and therefore unable to see them for extremely long periods of time. Little Amanda Stanton would be crushed if she knew that her mother was actually in America but was not allowed to see her because of a damn court ruling, change of custody, and a cursed restraining order. All three pieces of law legislation had been put into effect at one of the tribunal hearings in 2005, after Oroville. Now Stanton and her daughter Amanda stayed in contact by mail, letters that were passed between Toni Stanton and Amanda's grandmother Nani. Nani was the one who passed the letters between daughter and mother, only because she too disagreed with the decision to separate the mother from the family. The reason the communication was secret was because the tribunal also decided that it was safer for the children if they severed all forms of contact

Stanton knew better than to ask Nani of her opinion about the Oroville fiasco.

"Thank you Tobias," Stanton said softly, jerking herself back to the present. She tucked the letter into the desk drawer. "Tell Lucy 'thank you' for all her hard work. I feel guilty for putting your fiancée on the line."

Tobias shrugged. "Lucy doesn't mind. No one is going after her with a gun yet." He leaned forward and said, "She also suspects that Simmons has agents here at Area 51. He was talking to Banachek about transcripts of decoded information, does that ring any bells?"

Stanton gritted her teeth as Tom rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we lost a few lines," the sergeant said. "They vanished out of the general's quarters last week, and we never found them."

"Did Lucy ever find specific names?" Stanton asked.

Tobias shook his head.

She sighed, and then said, "Tobias, you did well. Thank you for your service."

"It's all right ma'am. We, as in Lucy and I, are proud to be working with you, and we'll stay with you until the end," Tobias answered, standing and saluting sharply.

"Thank you," Stanton replied, and then said, "You are dismissed Jackson. Try to refrain from further altercations with the Four-oh-first. It usually takes a while for Davis to calm down."

"Yes ma'am. One question: what's with the raccoon?" Tobias asked.

"You're better off not knowing," Tom replied.

Tobias winced, saluted once more, and then left the room. Tom and Stanton exchanged a look as the sergeant moved to the seat that Tobias had recently vacated.

"You think Keller is up to something?" he asked.

"I know he's up to something. We should start another 'investigation' and see what Keller is doing. He could be collaborating with Simmons or something, probably to make a move against me. Simmons is like a poisonous snake, and will turn Keller against me. Keller is really the only barrier between me and imprisonment," Stanton said.

"How do you propose we start?"

Stanton mused over the question, and then asked, "Here, how does this idea sound…"

-----------

A/N: Amanda Stanton is the five-year old daughter of General Stanton, and the youngest of five children. Custody was taken from General Stanton because of Oroville and granted to the eldest son Jeremy, who unofficially disowned his mother because of a major misunderstanding that will be potentially revealed later in the story. Amanda's grandmother, who is also Toni's mother, passes letters between the two. Sorry if that part was confusing.


	23. Like A Team

Chapter Twenty-three

Like A Team

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

Alexis paused and looked down at Ari's anxious expression. "I'll be fine," she said, leaning slightly on the ladder as she tried to reassure her friend. "Besides, it's not as though I'm made of glass or anything," she reminded Ari.

"Yeah, but what about your ribs?" Ari demanded, sounding very much like a little girl involved in a petty squabble. Alexis simply ignored her and finished climbing up the ladder. She walked lightly on the F-22's wing towards the cockpit. However, Ari was one of those people who hated being ignored, and she knew very well when someone was no longer paying attention to her. She stomped her foot in anger and refocused on Starscream. "Davis!" she yelled, and Starscream paused in his work to listen. "Make your pig-headed partner see to reason! She's flying with freakin' injury! Tell her to stay behind!"

Starscream didn't hesitate. "No," he responded curtly before the hatch closed.

Alexis rolled her eyes as she punched in a series of commands so the hatch would close. She appreciated Ari's concern, but Alexis was old enough to take care of herself. Alexis had spoken with Doctor Sasquatch several times about the reliability of the brace that she was now wearing. The only negative aspect to the brace was that while it was successful in immobilizing her torso, it also restricted movement inside the cockpit. She gritted her teeth; it was going to take a large amount of willpower to _not_ make snide remarks about her situation to Starscream over the team frequency where he could not retaliate without the worry of being caught.

Alexis slipped on her helmet, made the necessary adjustments, and then finally sealed the helmet. She was slightly nervous; the last time she'd flown, it had been in the midst of a terrorist attack where the enemy was invisible and she didn't know where the shots had been coming from. She took small comfort in the fact that her memory was fuzzy between being in flight and the eventual waking up in the hospital.

There was just a gap in her memory between those two events.

She pressed a button on the side of the helmet, and the headset turned on, sealing out all outside sounds and making her world completely silent. As she waited for others to come online, she pressed in the key sequence to power up the jet. The engines powered up to full blast, but were only a faint whisper in her headset.

Nice.

"_**Hello, is anyone on… or is it just me?"**_ Riley's voice came from her headset. It sounded as though he was standing right next to her, speaking normally.

"I'm here Riley," she said, keeping an eye on the hangar doors, which were slowly opening to reveal the slowly fading sunlight. The sand twinkled, albeit not as vibrantly as it did earlier that morning.

"_**Me too,**_" Jackson announced. "_**Let's get out there and kick some Fifty-first butt!**_

"_**Me three,"**_ Ari piped up from her end of the hangar.

"_**Don't even say it,"**_ Andrew warned, and Alexis guessed that Tyler was about to throw in a 'me four' until Andrew told him to back off.

"_**Nice to have you back Squeaker,"**_ Riley said, and Alexis could just see the grin underneath his helmet. She bit her tongue, resisting the urge to rise to the offered bait. Instead, she directed her jet to follow the others out of the hangar into the desert.

She half-listened to the chatter among the other pilots on the 401st squadron frequency as she waited for clearance to take off. Riley was trying to convince Ari to help him with his latest scheme, which was to rig the quarters that had been given to the 51st pilots for that night. Ari was repeatedly telling him no, and finally threatened to give Riley a 'haircut that he would regret' if he didn't shut up. A few of the new pilots were musing over what Stanton had in mind for them this evening, while Andrew and Jackson compared the latest baseball statistics and made bets on the outcome of the 2007 World Series.

Starscream was being too quiet for her personal comfort. Alexis switched over to the private frequency between just the two of them. "Hey Screamer, you okay there? You're being awfully quiet there," she said, breaking the silence between them.

"_**That Pit-spawned commander of yours removed all of my external weaponry, and attached some kind of inferior laser technology. How does she expect me to defend myself?"**_ Starscream hissed over the link.

Alexis rolled her eyes; she should try to keep track of the days of when he _didn't_ complain. That would be much easier than keeping track of the days of when he did complain, which was almost daily.

"She probably didn't want you accidentally-on-purpose shooting Toby in the dark," Alexis patiently explained. She didn't bother reminding him that Stanton was technically his commander as well; the reminder generally went in his version of an ear and out the other without stopping in between. "If it's any comfort, she added a similar apparatus to my jet, and I'll reattach your weaponry when we get back."

"Did she remove your external weaponry?"

Alexis didn't press the issue any further. Unfortunately, he did have a point.

She gritted her teeth again as she lined up on the runway. The sun was now barely above the horizon, spreading red and purple colors across the night sky. Stars were visible in the east, and few clouds were present in the sky.

Yesterday, numbers had been passed out to determine order of departure on the runway. Since Alexis had not received one, she was stuck waiting for the others to go first, and then she was able to take off.

"_**Anyone see White? I don't think he's with us tonight,**_" Riley suddenly said as Alexis guided the jet to join the others in the lazy circuit above the base. That was the usual routine while they were waiting for further orders.

"_**Bradley White was unable to attend because he was still feeling ill,"**_ Stanton coolly announced over the broadband frequency. "_**Tonight's exercise will be simple. Find the Fifty-first's target before they find yours. Lasers have been installed during the day, as well as devices wired to your computers to register 'hits'. Once this happens, you will come straight back to the hangar, and go straight to bed. Winning squadron will be allowed to go straight to breakfast in the morning, and the losing squadron has to do calisthenics first thing with Sergeant Wilson. The targets are marked with the respective insignias. You will know if your board has been destroyed. This task is to be completed by eleven p.m. Good night and good luck."**_ With a click, she signed off, leaving no room for argument or question. Her tone passed along a slightly different message: obey or else.

"_**Great. Everyone knows what a bundle of joy Sarge is in the morning.**_" Riley complained, and several groans echoed through the link. Nobody could quite forget the brutality of the morning calisthenics with a Sergeant Wilson who had gotten out of bed three hours too early the previous year.

"_**That's okay, it's like a combo of laser tag and capture-the-flag. Two fun, competitive games. No problem, let's get moving guys." **_Ari snapped over the link, and Alexis saw Ari's jet veer off and start coasting near the rocky cliffs.

Alexis frowned. The exercise guidelines sounded very familiar… then it clicked. "Hey guys, does anyone remember the last trip to DC?" she asked.

"_**Was that the same trip when we locked Simmons in the girls' bathroom in the Pentagon?"**_ Riley asked.

"Yes, it was," Alexis said, wishing for once that Riley could connect a place with something that wasn't a prank in his memory. "Remember Stanton locked us out of the barracks as a punishment for that, but when we attempted to steal the key back, she admitted she lost it the city somewhere. We split into two teams, and then halfway through the search she said that Berkey's ice cream was being served in the barracks. As teams, we tried to sabotage each other so that only one team would get back first. We searched most of the city for two days, and then right as we were about to leave DC, Stanton pulled the key from her jacket pocket and said she had it the whole time."

"_**Just get to the point,"**_ Ari snapped impatiently.

"The point is that we're going to have to cooperate to find our target, destroy the opponent's target, and take out the opponent all at the same time," Alexis explained.

"_**Sounds tricky, but we can try I guess."**_ Marty, a rookie, volunteered.

"Okay, well, there are fifteen of us, and three objectives. Um, Riley, you can take four others and go take out opponents. Try to pick those who could use that venting relief," Alexis suggested. "Lewis, fall back with four and try to locate our target and guard it."

"_**Dibs on going into enemy territory with you to find their target,"**_ Ari sang over the link. "_**We can use Tyler as a distraction if necessary."**_

"_**Remember that they will have the same visibility as us."**_ Marcia warned, speaking for the first time since they had all taken flight.

"Just move out," Alexis ordered, and guided the jet down to skim the cliffs. She checked her scanners to find that Ari, Tyler, Lewis, and, against her better, personal judgment, Starscream, had followed her down.

Alexis kept an ear on the chatter between the pilots of the 401st squadron as they all broke up to their separate assignments. Only captains and any officers in flight had inter-squadron communication capability, so that meant Tobias and any of his top-three ranked subordinates could talk to any 401st pilot they chose, but they had to initiate the conversation.

She adjusted the controls, keeping the scanners open for any sign of either the enemy or either target. Starscream was amazingly quiet for once, and Alexis wondered if he was actually taking the assignment seriously for once. Of course, that would make sense; seeing that there was legitimate targeting the 'enemy' without repercussions.

"_**Aw crap!"**_ Riley suddenly swore over the link. "_**Okay, Fifty-first ambush in the works to the south. I would investigate if further if some **_**featherhead **_**hadn't gotten me first. Okay guys win the game for me. 'Night!"**_

"All right guys, I'm sure we all know that Riley's been tagged out. Stay on your toes," Alexis warned over the team link.

"_**It's okay Squeaker. We cleaned out the two guys that got him,**_" Marty announced.

Alexis did the mental math. Both squadrons were now evenly matched at fourteen players each. They had started out with fifteen, and the 51st had started out with the standard sixteen. Of course, Starscream's temper made up for at least two pilots.

"Is their target over there?" she asked.

"_**Nope.**_"

Alexis was quiet as she guided the jet for another circuit, this time cruising near the east side. Stanton would have placed both targets in an obvious, yet discreet location, just to have something to mock about to the squadrons later. She wouldn't have chosen the cliffs; it was too close to Area 51 for comfort and the lasers could accidentally penetrate the walls and into the labs. That would mess everything up, and then there would be real problems.

Starscream suddenly snarled, and Ari swore over the link. "_**Sorry Alexis, you've got two losers on your back. Screamer, they're all yours. Good luck."**_ Ari said, and Alexis noted as her jet and Tyler's peeled away and headed back to base, among a few other jets that were both 401st and 51st. Starscream on the other hand easily dodged the attacks and slipped underneath the pair of attackers, leaving Alexis exposed. She let out the breath she'd been holding as the two fighters pulled back to return back to the base.

"Nice shot," she remarked. She rolled her eyes as he grumbled incoherently, but she suspected that he was pleased with himself.

"_**Fall back. There is another jet coming in for the kill: you're too exposed and that's what they like,"**_ he ordered coolly. She obeyed and allowed him to take point. She targeted and 'shot' the incoming 51st jet, which had been baffled at the sudden change in leadership and then the sniper shot.

"_**I believe I found their target,"**_ Starscream remarked, and Alexis saw the 51st logo broadly painted on a standard bulls-eye target that was tucked in a niche in the cliffs. She aimed with the real weapons, and fired.

She honestly didn't know what happened. The second the missile hit the target, a loud buzzer went off in her headset. Andrew wailed that he hadn't gotten the 51st jet before the 'enemy' destroyed the 401st target. She surmised that both targets were destroyed, and so technically both squadrons lost, so that meant…

She groaned. Tom was going to be very unhappy in the morning calisthenics, and General Stanton would find the situation humorous.

Typical of them.

"_**I spoke with the general earlier, and she granted permission for our friendly little contest. Do you wish to run through the canyons and determine who truly the better flier?"**_

Alexis pretended to think about it, and said, "Well, I don't want to embarrass you by beating you or anything…"

With a snarl, Starscream shot off into the night above the cliffs bordering the base towards the canyons. Alexis rolled her eyes and shot after him, already plotting on the best way to get to the shortcuts in the canyon. Starscream may have experience of actual flying, but she knew the layout of the land extremely well, having flown through them on multiple exercises in the past, in the daylight. Of course, she didn't exactly tell him that, but what he didn't know, couldn't hurt him right?

-----------------

"You think it's smart to leave them unsupervised like that?"

Stanton waved Tom's concern off. "They are Air Force pilots, not toddlers. They technically don't need supervision. They won't have that kind of attention during combat. Besides, inter-team and team frequencies are being taped, so if someone insults someone else, we'll be able to tell whose fault it is," she said, pressing in her ID code into a small keypad beside the conference door.

"I know, but I don't feel like walking off like that, especially since you gave Davis and Preston permission to do that run through the canyons," Tom said as he followed the general, limping. His leg had gotten worse in the dry desert air, and now he was forced to use a cane to support his weight.

His old instructor would have an aneurism if he had seen the condition that one of his star pupils had been reduced to.

"Davis has too much energy. He should spend it doing something productive," Stanton said dismissively as she entered the conference room.

Tom limped to a chair facing the amplified computer screen and watched as Stanton logged on and accessed VidScreen. She drummed her fingers impatiently on the table as they both waited for a response.

"The agents contacted me, wishing to verify the Witwicky subject," Tom remarked as they waited.

"Why would they need to verify a subject?" Stanton asked.

"Cause you sent them after a teenager, not an adult."

Stanton stared at him. "Samuel J. Witwicky is a _teenager_?" she demanded, twisting around in her seat to face Tom.

"One who was out of school during Mission City."

Stanton sighed, and said, "Tell the agents to keep an eye on him anyway. See who he associates with the most often, and tell the agents to mark down the _adults_, not the other kids."

Tom rolled his eyes. Only his superior could suspect a teenager in being involved with a multi-national terrorist plot. If he weren't careful, she would one day accuse Keller himself of being involved with a Sector Seven conspiracy whose goal was to remove the president or something crazy like that.

The computer screen blinked, and soon Keller appeared on the screen. To his dismay, Tom spotted Simmons hovering in the background in a similar fashion as an UFO. Stanton merely cocked her head in slight interest, but was careful not to betray her anger at seeing Simmons there.

"General, it is good to see you in good health," Keller greeted.

"I wish I could say the same, but it appears that you have a little _slime_ stuck to your back," Stanton answered cheerfully, moving her head so she could look past Keller. "Although, I suspect you know and did nothing to remove it."

Keller sighed. He knew that this rivalry was growing out of control, but there was no effective way of cutting it off. Sooner or later, either Stanton or Simmons was going to be killed by the other person. Simmons would be implicated if Stanton died, but Stanton would probably find a way to engineer Simmons's death to look like an accident. It was just in her style.

He shook his head slightly. Now was not the time to dwell on what-ifs.

"I am just conducting a progress check. How is your 'project' going?" Keller asked, changing the subject.

"Quite well. We are close to discovering the culprits from Mission City, and the slicers you recommended to me are very efficient. They have uncovered crucial data for the hunt," Stanton lied. Tom was careful not to let his facial features betray his surprise. If Stanton were lying to her superior, then she would explain her reasoning to him later.

Simmons shifted in his seat as Keller nodded approvingly. "Once you catch these terrorists, what do you plan to do?" he asked.

"Arrest them," she said coldly. "Arrest them and give them to the courts."

"You do realize that an official investigation was conducted in the weeks following Mission City correct?" Keller asked.

"I personally feel that the reports were vague and left out a lot of detail, so I felt that it was necessary to conduct a second one," Stanton said, delicately crossing her ankles and slipping into the pose of complete assurance.

Keller sighed, and then said, "Very well Toni. Good luck then with your 'project'." He frowned, and then said, "You're still not planning to blow anything up right?"

"No cities. Just a military base if its commander refuses to surrender in the name of the law," Stanton remarked, still smiling, but Tom saw her glance and make eye contact with Simmons briefly before looking back at Keller.

Keller pinched the bridge of his nose with his right thumb and forefinger before saying, "At least give me a heads-up before you demolish another building okay? So we can evacuate anyone if necessary."

"I'll think about it," Stanton replied sweetly before she leaned towards the computer and prepared to close the window. "Good night Mr. Keller," she said, and then closed the window without acknowledging Simmons. She let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Do you want me to handle the next call?" Tom asked.

"No. I think I can stay awake long enough to speak with her," Stanton replied, and looked up as a window popped up on the computer, announcing that she had a video invitation from a friend. She clicked on the 'Accept' button, and Tom moved into view of the camera for this chat.

Lucy Kingfisher, a young and vivacious woman, as well as Tobias's fiancée, was smiling when her image popped up. Tom raised an eyebrow at her garb; she was wearing a set of hospital scrubs, and she looked exhausted. Her light brown ponytail was falling out, and there were faint shadows underneath her eyes. Nevertheless, she was clearly determined to put on a positive appearance for Stanton. She leaned forward when both women could see each other.

"Lucy, are you getting enough sleep? I told you not to risk your personal health on runs like this," Stanton said disapprovingly.

"Actually ma'am, there is an ex-Sector Seven agent hanging out waiting to catch me, so technically, I'm 'on duty' right now avoiding him," Lucy admitted, brushing some hair out of her face. "But it actually works out because there is something I wanted to tell you that concerns the hospital a bit."

"Something that you didn't already tell Tobias?" Stanton asked.

"No ma'am, this came up a couple of hours ago." Lucy paused, and then asked, "Is it true that somebody tried to strangle Toby this afternoon?"

"Tobias ticked off a temperamental pilot earlier today, who happens to have a strong grip," Tom answered.

"Sounds like something he would do," Lucy answered, rolling her eyes.

"How did this Sector Seven agent catch on?" Stanton asked, bringing the focus back to the matter at hand.

"Um, I was watching Simmons speaking with a man and a woman earlier and I was passing off as a tourist who happened to be fascinated with the Supreme Court building. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a man, an amateur, who was trying to discreetly follow me. So I tried to lose him but failed, and then came here. You'd be amazed at how many of the male staff in a hospital will let you do as you please here if you're charming enough," Lucy explained. "I've been here for at least five hours now."

Tom could see Stanton thinking things over. "The man and woman from earlier, were they tourists or do they have a profession?" the general asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Actually they're hospital staff I think. I couldn't get close enough to discern the topic of discussion, but whatever it was, Keller and Simmons were talking to them."

Stanton frowned, and then asked, "Do you know which hospital they work at?"

"No ma'am. They had one of those bright yellow Search & Rescue vehicles that don't have markings that affiliate them with any particular hospital. It could be any of the nine hospitals in the Washington DC area." Lucy answered. "I'm at Howard University Hospital right now, and I checked their records earlier. They don't employ Search & Rescue regularly, and there are two or three on duty right now, but I didn't recognize any of the employees. So you only need to fret about the others."

Stanton made a face at the thought of more work. "If you see those two again, assign an agent to tail one of them," she said. "They made themselves suspects just by talking with Simmons. Don't go out of your way to find them again though."

"The woman had distinctive red hair. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to find her again…" Lucy said slowly, sounding unsure of herself.

"Luce, don't give us details until you are one hundred percent sure. We don't want the general to sic an agent on everyone in DC. If you hadn't noticed, she's a little prone to overreaction lately," Tom interrupted, and Lucy nodded in acknowledgement. "Just do us a favor and get some sleep as soon as you can, and exercise caution."

Lucy nodded. "Oh, and general? Do you remember Rodney Lockeys?" she asked.

Stanton grimaced while Tom groaned. "You mean the one loser who got convicted for Oroville while the everybody else got out unscathed?" Tom asked.

Lucy nodded. "Mr. Keller is considering on repealing Lockeys's sentence," she said. "Something about 'a grain of truth in the trials'."

"Lockeys and I were the only two who insisted on the existence of that monstrosity at Oroville. Why would Keller repeal the sentence _now_?" Stanton mused aloud to herself, but Tom heard anyway. Speaking louder, she said, "Thank you Lucy. Do as Thomas instructed please. I will rest easier at night knowing that Tobias won't hunt me down because something happened to you."

Lucy saluted, and then reached forward to close her window. Stanton closed hers and then leaned back in her chair, musing over the new information.

"There are probably hundreds of people employed in Search & Rescue, between the volunteer force and the paramedics at the hospital. I say we leave the pair Lucy saw alone for now," Tom finally said, looking at his superior officer. "Why did you lie to Keller anyway?"

"Because Simmons is playing his game around mine. If he has something to hide, he's going to panic and make mistakes. All I'm doing is forcing his hand," Stanton said, standing up. "Now, I suspect the exercise will be over right about now, and we should see who won, and who will be spending tomorrow morning with you in calisthenics."

Tom muttered about how much he hated calisthenics with whiny pilots in the mornings as he followed Stanton out the door.

--------------

The constant hum of monitors was the only sound in the room as the man placed a chair underneath the security camera. Standing up on the chair, he taped an image of the empty computer room over the camera lens, careful to stay out of the lens. He knew for a fact that the security technicians were either dozing or talking with their buddies at this time of night, but he had to be careful in case one of them was actually paying attention to the monitors.

He jumped down to the ground and flicked the room lights on. The lights were to aid him if the blasted animal came back to chew on the wires some more. Keeping the gun handy, the man leaned down and plugged the flashdrive back into the monitor. He briefly checked the other security cameras to make sure that they too were covered, which they were.

He then accessed the general's database again, which went more smoother than last time since he knew what he was doing this time. He grinned as the information began downloading again.

He took the gun and prowled the computer room, checking under monitors and behind tables. He was determined to destroy the raccoon this time before it wrecked his work. He had checked with Riley Mackerson earlier about the raccoon, and Riley had said that the animal had a tendency to pop up wherever at its leisure.

Well, he didn't find the animal, but he found the bolthole it had escaped through the last time. He took an old monitor that was lying unused underneath a table and stuffed it into the hole, blocking it off.

There. That should fix the problem.

A soft _ping_ announced that the program was done copying and downloading the information from Stanton's database. The man removed the flashdrive, and then tucked it away in his pocket. HE would send the information to his superior later tonight, maybe around midnight or so. By then, all the pilots from both squadrons should be in from their exercise and asleep in their beds. General Stanton had given them a time frame to accomplish their task, threatening some imaginable horror if they didn't succeed in the time frame.

He walked out of the room, turning off the lights, and not bothering to peel the taped images off of the cameras. He had framed two people earlier for it, and they would take the fall for that.

Things were now working in his favor. If all went well, he would be back in Washington DC by the end of next week on his next assignment as the 401st floundered, crashed, then burned.

Too bad for them all. It was a dog-eat-dog world after all.

---------------

A/N: Sorry for not getting this up sooner. I've been sick for the past week and a half, and overwhelmed by school at the same time. I am feeling better than I did last week, so that is good. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D


	24. Caught

Chapter Twenty-Four

Caught

"_Preston!"_

Alexis jerked awake and smacked her head on the glass roof of the hatch. She swore, and she looked around, severely disoriented by the light streaming into the glass. That was when events slowly penetrated the sleepy haze in her mind, and she rolled her eyes as her brain registered the owner of the voice who had screamed her name like a curse. At least she knew he was feeling better.

Both she and Starscream had been neck-and-neck last night in their little 'friendly' contest of who was the better flier when they hit a snag. She still wasn't sure what exactly happened, but Starscream had swore viciously in his language and hers for no apparent reason until she saw through her scanners that he was veering out of control. She had fallen back to provide support, and he slowed his pace in order to match her speed. They 'hobbled' back to the base, and somehow managed to discreetly sneak back in. After they both powered down, Alexis had seen that Starscream's right wing had suffered damage on the end. Starscream was humiliated to admit that he had crashed into a rocky stalactite, but revealed that the cable that Charlie had stolen a while ago had been critical in his stabilizing systems. He was now adamantly refusing to fly out if he didn't have the damned cable.

She told him she would deal with it at a more reasonable hour. Then, too exhausted to go back to her room, she had put her helmet off to the side in the cockpit, curled up on the pilot's seat, and then just fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Now he was being demanding again.

"Well, I fulfilled my side of the bargain, and cooperated with you," he snapped as she climbed out. Yep, the bossy Screamer was back for sure. "Now fulfill your side, _human_."

Alexis sighed, and then said, "You know what? You're right. So, here is a secret. The plane that the American president is on always receives the designation 'Air Force One'. The plane for the vice-president is designated 'Air Force Two'. As you can see, the designation changes with the plane." She didn't find it necessary to tell him the security aspects or the make of the planes generally used by the president and the vice-president.

Starscream apparently thought it was necessary. "How does the human leader protect himself in the air?" he demanded. "Don't try lying to me; I know a source to check your claims with."

A source? Was he implying that this Barricade wasn't the only alien loyal to him that was out there? Alexis liked this possibility less and less as time went on. "The president flies in a Boeing 747-200. That's all I'm going to tell you," she added, stretching her legs over the side of the jet's wing.

Starscream let out a snarling noise, not satisfied with the simplicity of the answer. Alexis's brain also registered that he was in his true form rather than his jet form. Maybe she should stay on her jet for the time being, seeing that she was probably going to start pushing his buttons soon. Her legs were stiff from being crammed in a cockpit all night.

"What must I do to acquire the other secrets?" he finally asked, growling the question out.

Alexis thought about for a moment, and then suggested, "We could renew the truce for another week if you want." She raised an eyebrow, and reminded him, "Besides, you still need your stabilizing cable don't you? We both know that I'm the one who is in the best position to pursue Charlie, and I won't have any incentive to help you without the truce."

She had him almost trapped, and they both knew it. "Fine human pest," Starscream growled after thinking it over for a few moments. "I will consent to your truce for only one more of your weeks. After that, I promise I will give you enough mayhem to last you for _eons_."

"Glad that's settled," Alexis said cheerfully, standing up and walking to the tip of the wing. She sat down, and the carefully slid off of the shiny surface and landed on her feet on the ground. "Now let's get your damn cable back shall we?"

Starscream muttered incoherent oaths as he followed her to where the hangar's bolthole was located. Alexis examined the hole, and then walked away, looking for a tool that she could use to widen the edges of the bolthole. It was crazy idea, but the only one she had. She was going to go after the damn raccoon using the raccoon's own escape routes. Charlie had to be stashing the wires he'd pilfered over the years somewhere.

_Boom!_

Alexis jerked in surprise at the sudden bang echoed throughout the hangar. She turned on her heel to see that Starscream had cut to the chase and smashed a fist straight into the wall, revealing a tunnel-like vent behind the wall. The tunnel was big enough for her to easily slip through… only if she crawled.

"Starscream? I appreciate the help, but we're trying to widen the hole, not take the whole wall out. I don't think I can explain a gaping hole in the wall to Stanton. I was lucky to get away with the wimpy story to explain the fireworks," she said, cautiously approaching him. If he could smash a wall in with a fist, she hated to see what he could do to a human like her with just his fist.

She could feel him watching her as she removed the brace around her middle and put it off in a safe place nearby. She pulled out the small headset that Stanton had given her yesterday, put that on, and then carefully inserted herself into the tunnel. She heard Starscream turning back into the F-22, and looked over her shoulder to see that he'd parked himself right in front of the damage. "That's not going to cover all of it you know," she remarked into the mouthpiece of the headset.

Starscream just snarled in response.

Alexis kept her mouth shut about the indignity of climbing through the vents. It was kind of cool to see where Charlie escaped to when Tom was firing off his rifle in another part of the building. She flicked on the small flashlight and aimed it down the long black tunnel. There were grates in the bottoms of the vents however, providing squares of light and access to rooms that were technically forbidden to her, such as the boys' rooms.

"_**Did you find anything yet?"**_

"No, just be patient," she snapped. "This is going to take a while, so you're just going to have to sit tight for now." To her satisfaction and relief, Starscream remained quiet. Then,

"_**What if that cranky male returns?"**_

Alexis guessed that he was referring to Tom. Then she swore when she remembered the calisthenics she and Starscream were technically supposed to be doing right now. Well, she wasn't going to worsen his mood by reminding him, and she wasn't going to ruin her morning by going. She guessed she would simply tell Tom that she forgot… which was the truth after all.

"Then make up some excuse that will let you stay with the 'jet' or something. Screamer, you're a hell of a lot older than I am. You can think up your own excuses and stop whining to me about it," she snapped, brushing some dust bunnies out of her way. She paused momentarily, sneezed, and then continued crawling.

This was insane.

She paused at a 'junction' where the vents went off in three different directions. She listened to the echoing sounds for a moment, and then continued going straight. If she was wrong, she could always retreat and start over at the junction again.

Alexis hoped that the vents were well insulated. She was making a racket, and there wasn't much she could do to prevent that. She was also very well aware of Tom's universal solution for things making rackets behind walls or in the vents. His rifle was good for targets other than raccoons and pesky government agents.

"…completely sure about following him?"

"Yes. One of the agents hacked into his computer network and found that he and his precious girlfriend have been contacting Keller via VidScreen."

Alexis froze when she heard Stanton's and Randall's voices echoing through the vents. She crawled a little further and peered down the grate into the room below.

The two commanders were in the officers' lounge. A chessboard was set up between them, and Randall was on the verge of defeat. Stanton was slouching slightly in her armchair, obviously exhausted. It was though she had dropped her public façade now that there were no pilots around. Alexis felt sorry for the general; the Air Force code dictated that Stanton set the mood and the precedent for those following her, so she was not permitted to give away her current emotions in front of her subordinates. Only in private could Stanton relax.

"One of the agents nearly got mowed down by the boy when the boy was driving," Randall said.

"I know. A 2007 yellow Camaro with black racing stripes and no ID whatsoever, and if the boy hadn't shown the proof of purchase, I would have assumed he'd stolen it," Stanton said calmly, moving her bishop. "Check."

"Where do you think Samuel acquired it?" Randall asked, moving his knight to protect the king.

"I don't know. He must've put his life savings into it. Camaros like that don't come cheap. I can tell you that it didn't fall out of the sky. You would've assumed that cars did fall from the sky if you'd seen Simmons before we left DC last year," Stanton snapped. "Check."

"Did the agent catch what the conversation with Keller was about?"

"No. Checkmate."

Alexis carefully began crawling along again, feeling sorry for the Camaro owner. Earning Stanton's attention was to eventually earn either her friendship or enmity, but from the way things were going, poor Sam was about to make the enemy list. Stanton would find a way to make life a bit difficult for him if the charges against him were significant enough. If not, then Stanton would probably leave him alone.

_Squeak. Squeak._

Alexis froze, listening carefully. Something had to make that high-pitched squeaking sound, even if it wasn't Charlie. She suspected that she was getting close to Charlie's hideout, and found herself dreading the discovery she was probably going to make when she found it.

The squeaking got louder as she got closer to the bend in the vents. She aimed the flashlight ahead, but felt discouraged when she saw nothing. She did let out a yelp when Charlie came padding around the corner.

"_**What is it?"**_ Starscream suddenly demanded, breaking the silence between them.

"Nothing. Charlie just scared me, that's all." Alexis said. The raccoon cocked his head at her, and then padded away, disinterested. The squeaking grew slightly quieter, and Alexis found the courage to crawl a little further and go around the corner. She slowly crawled around the corner, not wishing to upset Charlie, and came to a dead stop.

Uh-oh.

Stanton was going to have aneurism if she _ever_ caught wind of the activities going on in vents of Area 51.

At some point, Charlie had smuggled in a lady friend, and now there was a whole nest of raccoons here. Alexis counted seven kits in the nest, all snuggled up to their mother. The nest itself consisted of odd items. Cables, thin wires, pillow feathers, and even a spare blanket were all worked into the nest. She could see the end of Starscream's cable sticking out close to her.

Charlie's mate glared balefully at Alexis as Alexis crept forwards another couple of inches. A low growl escaped the female raccoon's throat, stopping Alexis in her tracks. Charlie however continued fluffing a part of the nest in the back, oblivious to his mate's anger at Alexis

"Screamer, can't you live without the cable for a little while? Isn't there a medic who knows how to treat injuries like yours?" she asked, trying not to sound whiny. Alexis really didn't want to tangle with Charlie's mate; unlike Charlie, she probably came straight from the wild and carried rabies. Alexis didn't want to explain an animal bite to Doctor Sasquatch.

For some reason, Starscream was less than pleased with the suggestion. "_**Are you suggesting I go crawling to the Autobot medic and **_**ask**_** him to treat me? I would rather face their weapons specialist in combat!"**_ he hissed, his anger dominating his tone.

"You make it sound as though I just asked you to reconcile with the ultimate enemy," Alexis grumbled. She made a mental note to somehow, if it was possible, to find the 'Autobot medic' and figure out why Starscream was against the idea of turning for help. She also could have sworn she heard the word 'Autobot' somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where or when at the moment.

Charlie's mate growled slightly louder as Alexis's hand snaked out to grab Starscream's cable. The mate snarled loudly as Alexis snatched the cable and managed to wedge it out of the nest without upsetting it too much. Alexis beat a hasty retreat, but received an unexpected attack as Charlie leaped forward, snatching the other end of the cable. For a moment, they were stuck in a game of tug-o-war with it, a game she was winning, but then Charlie decided to even the odds out a little. He pulled a surprise tactic, leaping onto her face as he attempted to defend his nest. Alexis shrieked and grabbed his scruff, yanking him forcefully off her face and tossing him back. She braced herself as he came back for another round, but frowned when Charlie slowed down to a stop in front of her. The raccoon paused, staring forward while making little hiccupping sounds. Alexis slowly began to back up… those sounds couldn't be good.

_Blup!_

Alexis wanted credit for not crying out when Charlie got sick. Feeling better, the raccoon scooted away, leaving Alexis with a dirty flight suit and Starscream's cable. She seethed as she crawled backwards, grateful at least that Charlie had missed her face. She swore when she bumped her head against the top of the vent.

"What the hell was that?"

She froze, and then moved back slightly to avoid the rifle tip that Tom was poking up through a grate underneath her. Tom continued with that for another few minutes before the rifle tip vanished through the grate again. "Must be the damn rats again. Do we have traps up there?" she heard Tom ask someone nearby.

If only he knew.

She was still mumbling profanities when she finally crawled out of the tunnel and back into the hangar. She used Starscream, who was still in his jet form, as a support so she could regain her balance. She also noticed a pile of F-22 weaponry nearby, and surmised that Starscream had gone to find it while she was climbing around in the ventilation systems.

"I found your damn cable. Here you go, Your Majesty," she snapped, not caring whether he researched and discovered the nature of the insult. She was tired of putting up with him, and Charlie had stretched her toleration limits a little too much.

She heard him grunt as she began undoing the fasteners on the flight suit, careful to avoid the places that had muck on it from the episode with Charlie. She heard him transforming behind her as she carefully wiggled out of the flight suit.

"What happened?" Starscream asked, sounding curious.

"An episode I don't want to repeat or talk about," Alexis snapped back, finally stepping out of the flight suit. She was wearing lighter, fire-resistant clothing underneath, but she still shivered when the cold air of the air-conditioned room hit her body. She tossed the flight suit off to the side and turned around to find that Starscream had lowered his hand and was already working to insert the cable back into its proper place. "How come you don't want to see that 'Autobot' medic you mentioned earlier?" she finally asked, sitting on a crate and watching him work.

"We parted ways on less-than-friendly terms," he replied, not looking up from his work.

Alexis could see how that could have happened, given Starscream's tendency to resort to coercion and violence to get his way. She wondered where the medic was now… most likely back wherever Starscream came from. "Do you know what you're doing?" she asked.

"Yes. Now be quiet so I can focus."

Alexis rolled her eyes. She remembered very well the last time someone told her to be quiet so they could focus. That incident ended with a police cruiser plunging down one of the most dangerous hills of the Southwest, putting her, Ari, and Tyler at the top of a police officer's most wanted list.

"Yes, this is much better," he said, flexing his hand and wrist and watching at the ease of the movement. He fluidly folded back down into his jet form and snapped, "Now help me get the weaponry back on."

"Use your damn hologram to help and I might think about it," she snapped back, but slid off the crate anyway. She walked over and picked up the lightest attachment first and came back. Starscream's hologram was waiting impatiently for her, and he took the attachment to begin working on it while she went to grab another one to attach at the same time. "You've got to keep better track of your weaponry. Isn't this the second time you've lost it?" she asked, teasing him slightly.

"I wonder who stole it the first time," he snapped back, and she just rolled her eyes in response, not caring really whether he saw or not.

"Okay, there is something I have to know. What is the _real_ reason you hate Rad? You don't like anybody, so that's not a good excuse or answer," she said, risking a glance from her work.

Starscream made a face. "I just don't like him," he repeated stubbornly.

"Do I need to ask Rad?" she demanded, knowing that it could get a rise out of him.

The ploy somewhat worked. She could see the muscles in his jaw twitching slightly as he worked to bring his temper under control. "Go… ahead. I challenge you," he finally snarled. He walked away momentarily to get another piece to reattach. Walking back, he then changed the subject by asking, "When does your leader do this? I thought I was aware of everything."

"She probably didn't do it herself, but had a couple of technicians do it when you were strangling Toby yesterday. She times it so that the pilots are busy elsewhere and unable to hassle the technicians," Alexis answered. She cast a quick look at the slowly shrinking pile of weaponry, and made a mental note to appeal to Stanton and request that she left Starscream alone in the future. She obviously couldn't give away the secret, but she would have to use a reasonable excuse.

"I will handle the last piece. It would probably crush you," he said, and she held her hands up in surrender. If he wanted to do something on his own, she was completely fine with that. She wandered back to the crate, and sat down to watch him. Her eyes wandered back to the hole in the wall, and she wondered how on earth she was going to explain that. Maybe Tyler wouldn't mind taking the fall for another unexplained accident, it seemed like something he would do if he were properly armed. She would admit she was involved, and that the two of them had been hunting down Charlie, which would hopefully explain the ventilation system and the flight suit.

Fifty bucks and the promise of his survival past tomorrow would keep Tyler's mouth shut tight enough.

She watched as the hologram vanished, and then Starscream transformed backed into his true form. He stretched his wings proudly as he examined the more powerful weapons that were now reattached to him. Alexis noticed then that he had removed the laser system at some point. Apparently the choice of weaponry affected his self-esteem more than she originally thought.

Typical male.

"Ready to conquer the world, oh-mighty-powerful-one?" she asked, figuring that the extra ego boost couldn't hurt, seeing that his self-confidence was already soaring. The male mind was actually quite fascinating, once a woman figured out how it worked.

She rolled her eyes when he snarled at her. He knew when she was being sarcastic, and seemed to have developed an intense disliking for it. "You realize that this means I can actually hurt you without soiling myself right?" he snarled, bringing one of the bigger cannons out and bringing it online.

"Yes," she answered. She did not flinch from the cannon, instead remained sitting there, and stared defiantly back at the large cannon. On the outside, she appeared calm and collected, but on the inside, she was panicking. She dared not let him know that she was afraid… that was giving the enemy what they wanted.

"Jesus Christ."

Starscream froze and Alexis felt her chest tighten at the male voice. They both slowly turned to find Tom leaning on his cane in the doorway to the hangar. Alexis could only guess as to what assumption he had jumped too when he saw a gigantic robot aiming a cannon at one of his pilots. It also seemed to her that Tom couldn't decide whether to be surprised or… unsurprised, although why he wouldn't be surprised was beyond her.

"Good Lord," Tom said, having regained his voice a few seconds later. He walked forward a bit and then shut the hangar door, apparently understanding the need for privacy. "All this time, and you missy," he said, gesturing to her, "knew. You knew this entire time and didn't even think to maybe _report_ this…"

"Sergeant, this isn't what it looks like," Alexis quickly said, interrupting him. "There was a perfectly logical reason to keep this quiet…"

Starscream snapped out of his trance, and brought the cannon around towards Tom. The sergeant stopped in his tracks and even backed off slightly when he realized that the weapon was intended for him.

"Starscream stop!" Alexis shouted, standing up. "Do you want the authorities to come? If he dies, then Stanton will call an official investigation, and then they will find you, then haul you away!"

Starscream stared at Tom for a few moments, and then finally retreated. Alexis knew she had to keep an eye on him; he may have backed off, but the cannons were still out and online.

"Tom, this is Starscream. You know him by 'Stryker Davis'," Alexis introduced, careful to watch the both of them.

"Why the hell do I see a man instead of a giant robot every day?" Tom snapped, already in one of his moods, the one mood, Alexis noted, that he usually reserved for harsh interrogations.

"He uses this hologram technology to pass off as one of us," she said, careful to stay closer to Starscream. Out of the two males right now, Starscream was the one who would most likely protect rather than kill her. Tom had the infamous tendency to overreact. "He's not really a robot either… he's some kind of alien…"

She was babbling in her panic, and all three of them knew it. "Preston, please shut up," Tom finally snapped, and she did without question. He then cast a glance up at Starscream and said, "I supposed I shouldn't be too surprised…"

"Why not? Most of you fleshlings haven't seen any of my kind before," Starscream hissed, coiling slightly in a similar fashion to a snake and lowered his head right in front of Tom's face. To his credit, Tom did not flinch this time. Instead, he raised his cane and jabbed it straight into Starscream's optic, forcing the flier to jerk back in surprise.

"I don't even let my girlfriend get that close buddy. I've got a personal space of one foot," Tom snapped. He leaned back on the cane and remarked, "I'm not surprised because I've already encountered one of your kind." He noticed Alexis's puzzled expression, but continued his explanation. "I went inside Oroville with the strike team. We were forbidden to ever talk about what we saw inside, but I'm going to tell you now. We saw one of your species except I think he was a little taller than you. Plus, he was frozen but alive," he said. "We tried to warn the Sector Seven staff that the alien was alive, but they were more inclined to shoot at us rather than chat."

"What about the photograph?" Alexis asked, but suddenly remembered that she was technically not supposed to know about that.

Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "First you knowingly retain a secret that could be a threat to national security, then you hack into the general's private records. Anything else you want to tell me about while we're talking about secrets, Preston?" he asked.

"No sir," she mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"What you saw was Megatron. The leader of your nightmares," Starscream hissed.

"I don't know about that. I get pretty vivid nightmares," Tom answered. "As for the photograph, it was the key piece of evidence in the trials afterwards. It failed to acquit Stanton and Lockeys in the trials, and as you know, Lockeys was convicted and arrested while Stanton escaped by the skin of her teeth because of Hurricane Katrina. So after Stanton returned back to Area 51, she scanned the photo into her personal database, then burned it."

"Why did she destroy it?" Alexis asked. She noted that Starscream was displaying interest in the story, and was not inserting his own peanut gallery comments into it for once.

Tom shrugged. "I guess she either wanted a closure of some kind or was trying to rob Simmons of blackmail material. I don't know. This is Stanton we're talking about. I don't even know why she does half of these things, and I've been working with her since '92."

"Are you going to tell Stanton?" Alexis asked nervously. This was the type of ammunition that Stanton would undoubtedly find a way to twist to her advantage.

"I won't tell her if that's what you want, but I will if either you misbehave again or she asks me a direct question about it. I won't lie to her for you," Tom said, shifting his weight off of his bad leg.

There was a moment of silence, and then Alexis asked, "So, am I in trouble for keeping a promise to Starscream by keeping his existence secret?"

"You sound like Collins trying to wiggle out of punishment. Yes, both of you are in trouble for not showing up to calisthenics this morning. I suppose I can let you off for this… ah, _issue_ for now. Be forewarned: I will find a suitable consequence for your actions Preston. You were irresponsible, violated private property, and lied to us on several occasions," Tom said, glaring at her. She continued staring at the floor, reminding him of a young child being reprimanded. "Now," he said, casting another look at Starscream, "I'm going back to the mess hall, and I expect no more trouble from either of you."

Alexis nodded in acknowledgement. Starscream looked bored.

Tom turned to leave the hangar, but paused when he eyed the wall. "I don't know what you guys were up to, and I don't wanna know. Your punishment for missing calisthenics is fixing up the wall so that there is not even a crack left. Got it?" he said, turning slightly to face the two of them.

"Yes sir!" Alexis piped up, clearly grateful that he let her off relatively easy. Starscream appeared irritated, but acquiesced anyway.

"One more thing. Who won your little contest last night?"

Alexis winced and said "One of us took a few hits from overhangs so I'm guessing there is going to be a rematch… soon I think."

"Very well, get to work now," he said. He waited until the two of them were preparing to work on the damage before he left the hangar.

When he got up this morning, he'd been prepared to deal with thirty-one sleepy and whiny pilots. When neither Preston nor Davis – Starscream hadn't shown up, he gave them a fifteen-minute grace period. He first became suspicious when he heard a faint crash, but had been tied up with the calisthenics. When they still didn't show, he just conducted the exercises, and then went down to the hangars to see if they had even returned from the run in the canyons.

What he _didn't _expect to see was a thirty-plus foot tall robot towering over Alexis Preston, a giant cannon aimed directly at her face. Of course Preston was acting all brave and defiant, but Tom saw right away that she was terrified. Why she felt the need to act all macho in the face of death he didn't know, but would have to stop anyway. Acting that cocky in the jet would finish her off for good.

Starscream was another story. He always knew that there was something up about Davis when the pilot first arrived, but never in a lifetime would he have guessed that Starscream was actually an alien robot. They may have been different, but Starscream and Megatron had a similar body composition, and that was what gave Starscream away. Plus, at least he knew where Alexis got the idea for Starscream's call sign now.

"Sergeant?"

He paused in his tracks and saluted to Stanton, who was standing with Randall at the door to the lounge. "Are you feeling all right?" she asked.

"Fine, why?" he asked.

"You almost walked into the wall," Randall told him somewhat bluntly.

"Did you find Preston and Davis?" Stanton asked, blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Davis wasn't strangling anybody, but I suggest you tell Tobias to leave him alone from now on." Tom said, offering a wry grin.

Stanton frowned, gauging his expression. "Very well," she finally consented. "Where are you going?"

"To the kitchen. I gotta get something from the fridge," Tom said. "It's a necessity."

"Thomas, we agreed that any form of drinking was to take place while off duty, not any other time," Stanton reminded him. "Drinking is not permitted while you're on duty. Do I need to quote the rules?"

"You were never such a stickler for the rules before, Toni. Remember the run in Austin?"

Stanton smiled tightly. "Before, I wasn't under close watch by the Department of Defense. Just do as I say please," she said before walking down the hall, Randall at her heels.

"Whatever you say ma'am," Tom grumbled. He decided that now was no better time to start saving up for dinner in DC. Alexis's apparent comfort with Starscream's real identity was probably hedging the bet into Stanton's favor. He figured that there was no way his day could get worse.

"Sergeant?"

He looked up to see Doctor Sasquatch. "I'm sorry sir," the doctor said, wringing his hands. "But it's time to check up on your leg's progress."

Never mind, the day just got worse.

"Let's try with, 'lack of progress'." Tom grumbled, following the doctor. The issue of Starscream would have to wait.

------------------

A/N: Thanks for the awesome support guys!  Also, just to clear up a spot of confusion, 'kit' in the chapter refers to the baby raccoons. Please excuse the appearance of my profile for now... I'm trying to fix it, but something is being stubborn and so the profile won't update w/ my changes.


	25. Taskmaster

Chapter Twenty-Five

Taskmaster

"Why are those losers still here? Can't they tell they're not wanted?"

Alexis paused to look at the 51st pilots, who were clearly enjoying themselves. She shrugged and asked, "Does it look like I know everything?"

"Shut up," Riley snapped. "Anyway, why weren't you and Davis at calisthenics this morning? Tom was actually in a better mood than usual, but then again, the exercises were more brutal than usual."

"Stryker and I were looking for Charlie," she said, skimming as close to the truth as she dared. She sat down across from Riley, Starscream slipping into the spot next to her. She could see Starscream looking around the mess hall out of the corner of her eye, and knew that there was only one thing he could be looking for. She leaned close to Riley and whispered, "You have to get Charlie out of here as fast as possible. He found a mate, and now there is a whole _nest_ of them in the vents."

"Wizard," Ari said from Alexis's left. She frowned and then asked, "If the raccoons were in the vents, then how the hell did you get in?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Alexis said, remembering the damaged wall. She had been overwhelmed with the size of the task before her when Starscream had pointed out that Tom had never specified _how _the wall was to be fixed, just that there wasn't a crack in sight. So she had snuck down to the laundry within the base, stole a bed sheet or two, and coated them in silver paint that Starscream had 'acquired'. The paint was really meant for the jets, but she figured that this little emergency allowed for the bending of the rules. They hung the sheets over the damage, and Alexis was planning to recruit a few friends into helping fix the hole later.

"Did it involve a big bang? We heard one during calisthenics," Ari said, balling up her trash from lunch. She turned in her seat, aimed, and threw it. Alexis rolled her eyes as the ball missed Tobias's head, hit the table, and bounced harmlessly off onto the floor.

"Remind me never to allow Ari to sign up for softball. She'd kill someone," Riley muttered as he finished off his sandwich.

"Dork, my aim isn't that bad. I actually hit something last time," Ari said in a lofty tone.

"Yeah, some guy's truck," Tyler reminded her.

"_Will's_ truck," Alexis clarified.

"Shut up," Ari snapped.

"Hey guys, did you hear?" Andrew said, sliding into the seat between Starscream and Tyler. "Sarge wants all Four-oh-first personnel in the main hangar after lunch. Everyone is required to attend, especially Preston and Davis." Andrew glanced at the two in question. "Was he mad when he found you guys? He seemed a little worked up when delivering the orders."

"More like surprised," Alexis answered carefully. Andrew frowned slightly, but dismissed her answer anyway.

"Why would Tom care about whether you and Davis showed up or not?" Ari asked, turning to face Alexis slightly.

"I… don't really know. Probably so that he can keep an eye on us because I think Davis startled him really badly earlier. You know how Tom is. He sometimes has these sort of delayed reactions, remember?" Alexis reminded her.

"Oh yeah… like when we tied him up in the men's room so we could tear around the city like a bunch of maniacs. Reportedly, he later vented his anger out on the sofa in the lounge rather than on us. Turns out he was just letting his anger simmer. Good times, good times," Ari said, smiling at the fond memory.

"I don't think he's mad at us, just _really_ irritated," Alexis said.

"What'd you guys do, blow up the wall and then give him some epic story?" Ari asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well, I'll see you guys there," Riley said, standing up and prepared to leave. He paused and asked, "I know you just got here Davis, but you coming or not?"

"I'm coming," Starscream snapped, getting up to follow Riley. Alexis got up to go too so she could prevent any potential disasters from occurring, snatching half a sandwich to tide her over to the next snack. Ari and a few others got up to join them, Ari grumbling about how ranks were generally ignored in the base. Alexis knew that although Tom had no business or authority to order them around because he was of lower rank of half of the 401st personnel, he claimed authority over them just because he was Stanton's third-in-command and had more experience than the rest of them.

Tom was waiting somewhat patiently for them in the main hangars as the personnel trickled in. Alexis noted with slight disgust that Tobias was there, talking to Tom while two other men were watching the 401st personnel arrive.

"The guy watching us is the one that was holding Preston by the hair," Riley muttered to Starscream, who growled softly when the man in question narrowed his eyes at the sight of them.

"No fighting. They're here on personal request," Tom snapped. He waited until everyone was seated and back from lunch before asking, "Where the hell is White?"

"Still sick. I heard him puking this morning," Marty said, earning quiet cries of disgust from the personnel surrounding him.

"Just cause you heard it doesn't mean you have to say it," Ari grumbled. Alexis elbowed her to shut her up.

"You still sound cross Sarge. Not happy here or something?" Riley asked, grinning slightly.

"Yeah, I'd rather be in Nassau right now. I've got a splitting headache that only a margarita can fix," Tom snapped. "So Preston, any guesses as to how I got that headache?" he added, glaring at the pair of them.

Ari sniggered as Alexis put her face into her hands. Andrew was right; Tom was still steaming slightly over this morning. "It must be because of one of those great mysteries of life, sir," Alexis replied, looking up and keeping a straight face.

Riley snorted at the answer as Tom muttered something about impertinent pilots. "Well, we're beginning anyway," Tom said aloud, sitting up straighter in his seat. "Ladies and gents, as you probably know already, this is Captain Tobias Jackson of the Fifty-first. These gentlemen are First Lieutenants Bruce Kingston and Lyndon Syros." He gestured to each man in turn, and Alexis observed that it had been Kingston who had pulled her hair yesterday. Tom narrowed his eyes as Riley raised his hand. "Mackerson, if this is a remark that is better off left unsaid…"

Riley lowered his hand again.

"Any Four-oh-first veterans are well aware where this discussion is going, so keep your complaints to yourselves. Rookies, this little 'orientation' is to establish the pecking order here at the base," Tom said, eyeing Starscream as though warning him. "You may have attained some kind of rank under your last command, and it will stand here, but we have two Second Lieutenants in the veteran pack, so I wouldn't expect a promotion until the general has selected the new captain and the captain's second-in-command."

"Sarge, wouldn't the captain's second-in-command be the first lieutenant or whoever is the second highest ranked?" Ari asked, not bothering to raise her hand.

"Not necessarily," Tobias said. "Kingston is not only my second-in-command, but my flight partner as well."

"If he's about to point out another flaw in our power structure I'm gonna scream," Ari muttered under her breath to Alexis, who gave her a shove to make her quiet again.

"Lieutenant Rochester and Captain Thompson weren't flight partners, which could be a reason as to why they didn't see eye-to-eye on everything. Judging from the tapes that Stanton released recently, they didn't agree on the order of combat in Mission City either," Tobias continued. "General Stanton is planning to try things out the Fifty-first way."

"The freakin' general was _taping _us _again_?" Ari hissed as the other personnel talked amongst themselves about the new revelation… then again, it shouldn't have been a surprise. "Crap, that means she caught the meaningful apology that I said to Tyler without actually talking to him."

"I don't think that is what she was aiming for." Alexis muttered back. "More like she as trying to catch words exchanged between the enemy." She glanced at Starscream and whispered, "Couldn't you forget Rad for just one hour or something?"

Starscream ignored her and hissed, "I am just making sure that I am safe from whatever vengeance he has in mind."

"He's sick. That's a reasonable excuse… unless you don't mind being around sick fleshlings who can put more germy damage to your person than just a pair of grimy handprints," she hissed in a low voice

Starscream became quiet at the threat of more contaminants to his self. As he turned back to face Tom however, Alexis heard him mutter something about 'filthy organics'.

Tom's next statement however perked him up. "The general has narrowed down the list of candidates to about five," Tom continued, looking at the personnel. "Stanton wants the squadron to be ready for combat by the end of the month. She says that we're pretty damn lucky that no catastrophes have broken out yet."

"There was LA, remember?" Ari reminded him.

"That was over before they could call in the army," Tom countered. "Besides, they would have called in the Fifty-first to deal with that. Keller knows that we're still unable to function in an official operation."

Only a glare from Alexis encouraged Ari to keep her mouth shut. If Ari had said anything rude, Alexis would have not done anything simple like elbowing. She would have kicked Ari's ankles to get the message across.

"Isn't there some kind of international trouble?" Jackson asked suddenly.

"The government in Qatar is still a little upset over the raid that happened at the U.S. military base. In the days leading up to Mission City, the United States did quite a bit of finger pointing. So you can only imagine what it was like on the political stage after the attack," Tom explained. "General Stanton will be selecting the officers at the end of the month, and by then the rest of you will be ready to fly at a moment's notice again. The Fifty-first was only here to get you guys to get back to your old standards."

"No, really? I was too busy getting pestered by Fifty-first jerks to notice," Ari grumbled, sitting up from her slouched position to avoid Alexis's elbow.

"Do we know yet who was responsible for Mission City?" Marcia asked. Alexis did not miss the slight straightening in Starscream's posture at the question. She really didn't care about what he said on the subject; there was more involved than he was letting on.

"As of right now, that is an issue that may be taken up to the United Nations itself. It's people like the president and Mr. Keller who is keeping the issue in the America, saying that the issue can be easily dealt with here, and doesn't need international attention. However, you have influential politicians on the other side saying that no antagonist has been named yet, and they keep setting deadlines for the president to name the perpetrator. It's just one giant mess of politics that makes the rest of us, civilian and military, glad that we just have to deal with our specific tasks," Tom said, leaning back slightly with a Cheshire-cat grin on his face. He slipped back into a more serious expression and asked, "Any questions concerning what we discussed today so far? I'm not answering any questions about politics."

"Who are the general's candidates?" Riley asked.

Tom shrugged. "General Stanton will announce that when she's ready," he said. "I don't know when that'll be."

_Possibly never,_ Stanton thought grimly from her post on the observation balcony in the hangar. Without any of those below noticing, she turned and left the balcony and re-entered the base.

She coughed somewhat harshly than earlier that morning. She didn't know whether it was the desert atmosphere or the general stress dragging her down. She suspected that if she went to Doctor Sasquatch, he would never leave her alone until she obeyed his orders, which would undoubtedly include a period of recuperation. Stanton couldn't back out now; she sensed that there was more to Mission City than Keller initially let on, and she had to somehow stay one step ahead of forces she didn't even know about.

She knew Keller was hiding something from her, or he would not have sent those two data analysts to spy on her. The Madsen woman didn't know it, but Stanton caught her rifling through old Area 51 records that led up to Oroville. She suspected that Madsen was looking for motives behind the incident. The final piece of evidence against Madsen was the VidScreen conversation she'd had with Keller a while ago. A technician had been cleaning out the network mainframe when he'd come across the conversation, which had been automatically saved at the time. Stanton had felt slightly betrayed when she watched it, but if anything it made her more determined to gain the upper hand over Keller and Simmons. The fact that Keller sent agents to watch her told her that he no longer thought she was capable of maintaining an Air Force squadron without supervision.

'_More dangerous' indeed, that's insulting Keller. Don't expect me to cooperate with you next time we meet. You make me sound like an animal that used to be tame or something,_ she thought as she walked down the corridor to the computer labs. She opened the door a crack and peered in, shaking her head in disapproval when she saw Madsen talking to Keller again. She was also talking to someone else, but Stanton couldn't tell who it was from the distance she was at with the analyst. She also noticed that Whitmann was watching the conversation intently.

Seething slightly, Stanton closed the lab door without being caught. She headed back up the corridor to where the offices were. She rounded the corner, and Randall and White looked up at her entry. She stared at both of them, wondering briefly why they were here if everyone else was somewhere else. She shrugged it off by stating, "White, I see that you're feeling better."

"Somewhat ma'am," Rad replied respectfully. "Commander Randall was giving suggestions for getting over it."

"That's nice. Dismissed Airman," she snapped, leaving no room for argument. Rad saluted and then left the room.

"What's wrong?" Randall asked worriedly, seeing her pained expression.

"I want an armed escort of two personnel to accompany Whitmann and Madsen everywhere they go, and to stay by them at all points of the day. That way, there will be no more contacting Keller," she said, glaring in the direction of the computer labs.

"Ah, still upset over that," Randall observed. "I'm sure Keller is just trying to help keep you out of trouble."

"If he really wanted to help, he'd work on lessening the sentence so I can see my children again without the law interfering," Stanton said coldly. Randall just shrugged.

"Is that the only thing bothering you?" he asked.

"No. Someone siphoned a huge amount of information off of the database last night. I think it's the analysts, but the only proof I have, is the network records and a bunch of techs who say that a foreign flashdrive was in the system. The hacker covered up the security cameras. Whoever did it is a professional with computers, and analysts are trained to crack codes and passwords. If Madsen gave a pilot my personal passwords, Lord only knows what else she took."

"You think she was the one who stole all that?" Randall asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think she's smart enough to pull something off like that."

"What makes you so sure?" Stanton asked, glaring at him. Randall put his hands up in surrender and backed off.

"What do you want to do about it?" he asked.

Stanton sighed, thinking. For once, she was at loss on what to do to combat this new opponent. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and then said, "Randall, I want you to start a quiet investigation and find out the person of who did it. Then quietly bring the name of the culprit to me, and we'll bring him to justice all right?"

"Of course ma'am, I would be delighted to take on this challenge," Randall said, a half-smile forming on his face

"Very well. Thank you," she said, and then turned to leave.

"Oh, and ma'am?"

Stanton turned on her heel to face Randall again. "What is it?" she asked.

Randall sighed, and then asked, "Have you told anyone else about the loss of information?"

"No. I don't see the necessity of telling Tom because he has enough to worry about with the squadron and all. The only others who know about the security breach are the security officers and the three technicians who discovered the downloading," she answered.

"Why don't we keep the investigation between ourselves then because if there are less people who know, then there will be a lesser chance of news of the security breach leaking out to the others. Less panic and hassle that way," he explained.

Stanton mused over the possibility, and decided that the idea had merit. If all went well, the culprit would be behind bars by the end of the week as she finished figuring out the party responsible for Mission City. The security breach would just blow by, with no one the wiser. It was her goal to have this whole mess dealt with by January of 2008… a nice surprise for New Year's.

Then, if Keller wanted to be nice and win back her favor, he'd allow at least a one-month leave afterwards.

"Very well, we'll do that. I'll see you later then. I have some business to finish up," she said, and then headed to her office.

Stanton typed in her _new_ password into the keypad by her office door and entered. She locked the door after she entered, and then sat down at her desk. She would normally do this task electronically, but she no longer trusted technology very much, especially since the person who hacked into her personal database was still running around the base. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out the papers she was looking for. She scanned to make sure that the promotions were all set and going out to the right people before signing the document at the bottom. She folded the document carefully into thirds, and then set it aside. Then she wrote a short note to serve as the explanation for her actions. She folded the note into thirds as well, and then tucked the note, the document, and the captain and lieutenant insignias into a plain white envelope. Then she stood up, tucked the slightly bulky envelope into her skirt pocket, and then left her office.

Stanton held her head high and walked with a purposeful stride, hoping not to give away the fact that she did indeed have something to hide. To her, Tom was more than just a longtime subordinate he was a close friend who understood the need for secrecy and discretion. She would trust his judgment in this situation.

He was still in the hangars with the 401st pilots, so she typed in her password again into his keypad and was immediately admitted in. She walked straight to his desk, the one he only used when lecturing a pilot or talking with another officer. She reached underneath his chair and pried the key to the main drawer off the bottom. She pulled the tape off, and then used the key to unlock the desk drawer.

Stanton wrinkled her nose at the smell of musty papers. She scowled when she spied old paperwork hiding in the drawer, paperwork that Tom claimed he 'lost' over the years. Some of the papers were old prescriptions and reminders to visit the doctor for checkups on the leg. She frowned when she saw that the oldest piece in there was from January of 1991, dated a few weeks after his jet crashed during the Gulf War.

She would have to release him from service soon so he could be free to get medical care that was unhindered by the duties assigned to him. If she did the math correctly, Tom would have dealt with a grievous injury that refused to heal for almost seventeen years. Stanton also made a mental note to get Doctor Sasquatch on Tom's case about regular visits.

Stanton cleared the top of the messy stack and placed the bulky envelope from her pocket down on the top, Tom's name facing forward. He wouldn't need an indication of whom it was from; her handwriting was familiar enough to him.

She closed the drawer and locked it again. Taking a fresh piece of tape, she taped the key back into its place underneath Tom's chair. Then she left the office, locking the door again as she departed.

Stanton headed back to the mainstream of life at Area 51. She stopped Tobias as he was walking by her by gripping his shirt collar. "I suggest you leave the base with your squadron. I feel that things are going to get dicey around here," she warned.

"What do you want me to do?" he muttered back, still facing forward.

"Call Lucy and tell her to leave DC at her earliest convenience. I can't protect either of you if something happens to Tom or I. Stay at Edwards Air Force base and wait for further orders," she muttered, scanning the room. If anyone saw them, they would probably assume that Tobias was finally receiving a lecture for his actions yesterday.

"Do you think something will happen?" he asked.

"Yes. I just don't know what or to whom. I have a few backup plans just in case, but you never know. You may have to improvise. If something happens to me, Tom is going to assume leadership here, and you'll just answer to him."

Tobias looked at her. For as long as he could remember, Toni Stanton was always optimistic even in the face of defeat. Judging from her serious expression, he knew she wasn't kidding around with him. "Anything else you want me to do before I leave?" he asked.

"No thank you. Just call Lucy and get her out of DC."

"General."

She released Tobias's collar and turned to see Melvin, her senior technician, standing there, looking slightly anxious. "What is it?" she asked.

"The boys and I picked up something you might be interested in. Something concerning Sector Seven and Simmons," he said, fingering his shirt cuffs.

"Very well. Lead the way."

---------------

A?N: I know this is up earlier than usual, but here you go. I don't know if I would be able to grab any time later in the week, and the chapter was ready since last week, and I figured, why not?


	26. Mobilization

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mobilization

"What's the problem?" Stanton demanded as she walked into the pristine white audio/communications lab. Tom was already there, looking over a tech's shoulder and pointing to something on the screen. Then Tom whacked the legs of the tech's chair with the cane when the tech tried to flick Tom's fingers away from the screen. Commander Randall was quietly observing all the activity from his post in a corner of the room, a place he could observe all activities without intruding.

"Last night and early this morning, we were monitoring the phone lines that you specified last month, when we caught a phone call between Simmons and an unknown contact," Melvin explained, pausing in his steps and gesturing to a monitor that had a bunch of people surrounding it. "However, we encountered a problem when trying to record it."

"What kind of problem?" Stanton asked, frowning.

"There has a been a virus in the network for the last week or so, and we didn't discover it until last night when we tried to open the recording programs. Crashed a series of systems until we cut the hard lines. The boys suspect that it's foreign because the virus kept mutating as we tried to destroy it," Melvin explained.

"Then where is the virus?" Stanton asked.

Melvin jerked his head to the only computer with a black screen. "We more or less trapped it in there. Trust me, it wasn't easy," he said.

"Then did you call me here to explain a failure?" Stanton asked in an icy tone.

"Not smart," Tom muttered from his spot in the room. He only looked back innocently when Stanton glared at him.

"Actually, we used a tape recorder to catch pieces of the conversation, but the virus wrecked most of it," Melvin corrected, glaring at Tom, who frowned in a puzzled manner.

"Well, play what you do have," Stanton ordered, crossing her arms expectantly. A technician heard the order, and sat up straighter to reach a nearby console. He pressed 'Play' and then adjusted a few other dials to turn the volume up. The room fell silent as the recordings began.

"…_re-group at…Careful, Toni is still as dangerous as she was before…"_ a voice said, grating on Stanton's nerves like Simmons's voice usually did on those rare occasions she was expected to listen and take him seriously.

"I'm guessing that is Simmons?" she asked.

Melvin smiled. "Your ears are as good as they say," he said, looking back to the console. Stanton did as well, listening carefully for the response.

"…_General Stanton is becoming a petty threat… bowed out… ill…"_ the contact said. Stanton frowned because the man's voice tickled her memory, as though she'd heard it before. Unfortunately, she couldn't place it to any one person.

"…_prevent the Autobots from allying with her… unstoppable force…"_ Simmons replied to whatever the contact had said.

"…_clueless…"_ was the only coherent word from the contact before the rest of the call dissolved into static. "

"If anyone is regrouping, it's Sector Seven. Keller probably approved of that or something without thinking to tell me," Stanton mused aloud. "Why else would he be permitting Simmons to hang around when the Sector Seven party leader should have bolted for it the second the organization was exposed, firing him from his post?" She looked at her men and asked, "Any ideas?"

Tom shook his head as Randall did so as well. "Maybe Keller doesn't know about the regrouping," Melvin suggested.

"Oh, he knows. Those two analysts he sent were spying for him on us for the last couple of weeks, no doubt making sure that I am not poking too close to Simmons. Now, any ideas as to where Simmons might have gone?" Stanton asked, trying to get back to the point and subject.

"They really don't have many bases around the country. Generally they choose odd places, like Oroville, DC, Lincoln Nebraska… you get the idea," Tom said, leaning against the wall.

"There are reports that suggest that the Hoover Dam is where all hell broke loose before it all trailed to Mission City," Melvin suggested. "Certainly it warrants a look at."

"But General, what if that is what they want you to think? What if it's a trap?" Randall cut in, worry evident in his tone. "It makes more sense."

"Commander, then we'll do Simmons a favor and spring it. Besides, I like the possibility of the Hoover Dam; it's close to home so I don't have to stretch far. Still we should poke in Oroville as well, just in case," Stanton said, turning to leave. "All right, Melvin, I want you and your staff to attempt to remotely connect to Keller's network and figure out what the hell he's doing with Simmons. Commander Randall, find the box of supplies we used in 2005 and see if we have four FBI ID badges already completed. We're can't make others; the man who made them for us in the past was convicted and arrested two years ago. Sergeant, come with me," she ordered, and then left the audio labs with Tom on her heels.

"So, what the hell are Autobots?" she asked as they walked down the corridor.

"Riley's famous aliens probably," Tom answered. "Remember? The day you played those recordings for us? That was the reason Stryker and Riley started that fistfight."

"I always suspected that Simmons made that story up because he knew that Riley would hear and report back to me, so I just dismissed it at the time," Stanton admitted.

"What about those meteors in California? The agents on the Witwicky kid found a few giant craters in random places, one of them being in one of the lower districts near Tranquility. Another was in some guy's swimming pool, the third was in a field near a highway, and the fourth was in a baseball stadium. " Tom remarked.

"I hope the guy who lost his pool had homeowner's insurance," Stanton muttered, and then said louder, "Kind of odd how there is no evidence of the things that made the crater, don't you think?"

"I find the locations odd," Tom muttered, but said louder, "The agents will look into it." He then asked, "What is your plan for the Hoover Dam?"

"Four of the veterans will go to the dam just to see if there is evidence of Sector Seven regrouping. If not, we check Oroville. Thomas, I want you to go to Mission City and find a truck with four-wheel drive," Stanton directed. "Any objections?"

"Who are you sending?" Tom asked, glancing at his superior.

"I'm not sure. I was going to ask them to see who felt like going. Do you have any… assignment requests or something?" she asked, stopping so she could face Tom in the hall.

"How about Davis stays here and Preston goes, or neither one of them goes, or some scenario where Davis stays here?" Tom suggested.

Stanton eyed her sergeant. "What is it with Davis?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. She smirked playfully and asked in mocking voice, "Are you worried he's one of Riley's 'famous aliens' in disguise and threatening Preston's safety?"

Tom gaped at her for a few seconds and only relaxed when she started laughing. "I was just kidding Sergeant. You didn't have to take me seriously on that. As for Davis, he's going if he wants to go. It could be healthy for him, being with Preston in a more relaxed setting," she said, smothering the last of her laughs. "Happy hunting. Don't worry about the extra features in the truck; I'm not picky about stuff like that. The less there is, the less damage the drivers can wreak on it," She said, tossing him the keys to her silver Corolla. "Put one scratch on my car and I'll sic one of Riley's aliens on you," she warned.

Tom walked away, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'you won't have to look far' before walking off. One of the few army soldiers in the base, a private who seemed to have the worst luck, was unceremoniously dragged away by the collar by Tom, being the choice for the second driver.

Stanton on the other hand turned to walk down to the main hangars. The 401st pilots had scattered after the 'orientation' but she guessed that Riley might've encouraged the veterans to go somewhere isolated to discuss the potential candidates for squadron leadership. It had been difficult choosing out of the last five candidates, but in the end, she felt that she had made the right decision. The new captain would have to overcome the doubts and fears and take the lead when everyone else faltered. She had seen her selection do it in the past, so the only difference was that now there were consequences that could affect others.

Being a leader wasn't easy. Stanton knew that from years of experience.

She reached the hangar doors and opened them… and felt her jaw drop in surprise.

There was a gaping hole in the hangar wall, exposing the ventilation systems and the pink insulation that kept the desert heat out of the base. There was a pile of silver-colored sheets bunched up near where the floor met the wall. Pieces of metallic material littered the surrounding floor, but a 401st pilot was already sweeping that up. A few other pilots were using an F-22 as an impromptu ladder so that they could reach the higher edges of the damage. Stanton could tell that an average size of the damage had already been repaired before her entrance, but a good amount of wreckage remained. Buckets littered the floor and the top of the F-22.

"What the hell happened here?" she asked slowly albeit loud enough to be heard. The chatter amongst the pilots ceased rather quickly as the eight pilots registered Stanton's presence.

Alexis of all people stood up from where she had been crouching near the ground. She stepped forward and said, "Stryker and I were trying to do a favor for most of the people here and hunt down Charlie," she explained. "We… didn't really find him, just a bunch of his escape routes."

"Yeah," Ari suddenly said, standing up as well and joining her friend. "Tyler and I helped with the demolition," she said, gesturing to Tyler, who grinned broadly.

Stanton stared at the two women, trying to determine whether they were lying or not. Both of their facial expressions were perfectly blank, except Ari had a slight smile to hers. "For some odd reason, I'm not really surprised," Stanton finally said, sarcasm dripping from her words. She eyed the wreckage again, and said, "Well then, I guess I no longer have second thoughts about a little extracurricular activity I have in mind for you."

"_That_ can't be good," Riley said in a stage whisper to Andrew from his post above the F-22 wing. Andrew nodded in agreement.

"The assignment will involve spying and a road trip. I need four volunteers who will be willing to go to the Hoover Dam here in Nevada. Depending how that trip goes, there may be another trip to Oroville afterwards," Stanton said, gauging the reaction from each pilot.

"Your own agents can't do this…why?" Riley asked, treading on thin ice with the comment.

"What agents?" Stanton asked, feigning ignorance. "Besides, I'm a little understaffed at the moment. For example, if my analysts weren't tied up with something else, I wouldn't need Keller's analysts to decode the information we received from Keller and our own recorders."

"Why do you need the translations anyway?" Ari asked curiously. She knew more than she was supposed to, and Stanton suspected that Ari was closer to the analysts than originally anticipated.

"Once the information is decoded, we may be able to use it to pin the blame of Mission City onto Sector Seven. I have a feeling they could have prevented the disaster from happening. Now, any volunteers for the Hoover Dam trip?" Stanton asked, once again diverting the conversation.

She watched as the pilots muttered to each other, weighing the ups and downs of going or staying. Alexis glanced at Stryker, who shrugged as though the question didn't have any real effect on his future plans. Stanton was pleased to see that her little experiment had worked out in the end, and Davis and Preston were finally getting along. Tom was only overreacting.

"I guess I can go," Alexis finally said, glancing at Stryker again. "I have to see the doctor first, but I think I wouldn't mind getting out of here for a little while." She looked at Stryker and seemed to interpret his facial expression with ease. "He's coming too if that's okay?" she said, appearing nervous of Stanton's reaction.

Stanton would have to ask Alexis about how she figured Stryker's answer out without speaking. "Okay, two more slots open. Anyone?" she asked. When nobody immediately responded, Stanton said, "The pilots who stay behind will be working with Tom and the rookies."

"We're going!" Ari suddenly shrieked, startling Jackson and Stryker. She looked anxiously around, and repeated in a lower voice, "Tyler and I will go… what kind of car are we going to use?" she asked.

"Whatever Tom scrounges up in Mission City. Hopefully it won't be something like the rust bucket we used to sneak into Oroville," Stanton assured him.

"I still think that it was haunted," Riley muttered.

"Riley, cars can't be haunted," Ari assured him.

"However, nobody is going anywhere until that hole is _completely_ fixed," Stanton warned casting another look at the damage. She turned to Stryker. "Davis?"

He looked up towards her to acknowledge that she had his attention. "It will probably be up to you to keep these three under control. I will not tolerate another episode similar to Devil's Run in Mission City. You are in charge of keeping peace on the mission."

Satisfied that he understood, Stanton turned on her heel and headed to the parking garage to wait for Tom. It shouldn't take hours just to find one vehicle for a touristy façade. Then she made a mental note to check on the progress of hunt for the FBI passes.

----------

"That was close, don't you think?"

Alexis shuddered. "Too close for my comfort," she admitted. She used a ladder to climb up onto Riley's F-22 to help the two pilots that were up there, working. Ari of course followed her up the ladder.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what really happened?" Ari asked as she pulled on clean latex gloves to continue working.

"Probably not. Stryker isn't going to talk either, so don't annoy him by asking," Alexis said, lathering the thick paint onto the recently repaired wall. She and Ari were following Riley's work with paintbrushes, a necessary step in order to protect the wall from being damaged by the metallic coverings that would be applied later.

Ari picked up a paintbrush as well. "Who made the blast?" she asked.

"Stryker. I think he had too much fun doing it," Alexis said, keeping her voice down because Starscream was nearby.

"I think the size of the hole gets that aspect across," Ari said, eyeing the damage. She waited for another moment or two before she asked "So when do I get paid?"

"When the job is completely done," Alexis replied.

Ari muttered something along the lines of 'cheapskate' before attacking the wall with her paintbrush with renewed vigor. "How seriously do you think Davis will stick to the general's order?" she asked.

"Just seriously enough to prevent a repeat, but not seriously enough to restrict us. I have a hunch that you and Tyler amuse him to some extent." Alexis said, knowing that she was going out on a limb with that guess. If anything, Tyler and Ari irritated Starscream mainly because it had been Ari's irrational fear of the police that had messed up his plot in Mission City. Alexis no longer had any doubts that he had been behind the initial assassination attempt. The question now was how much she would tell Tom about the assassination attempt… or maybe even the threat on Stanton's life.

Both women fell silent, the wall presenting a more pressing problem. Ari was unusually enthusiastic about completing the repairs, and Alexis suspected that money was no longer the driving force behind Ari's energy.

The job took most of the afternoon, even with the participation of the few rookies who showed up looking for something to do. In Alexis's opinion, Starscream had used a little more force than necessary in destroying the damn thing.

Alexis estimated that it was probably seven in the evening by the time they finished. She forked over the fifty bucks she'd bribed Ari with to get her friend to help fix the wall. She was careful to keep the money discreet; she had used other means to get the cooperation of Riley and Andrew. For Riley she threatened Charlie's overall safety to earn his cooperation, and it had cost her a round of _Halo_ to get Andrew involved. Starscream had been the one who observed that the other veterans followed the lead of the three she'd bribed, and had directed her to the pilots that had to be bribed in the first place.

Alexis was slowly beginning to see how Starscream may have represented a problem to his enemies. He was manipulative, but in a more subtle way than she would have expected from him. If he'd been a human, he probably would have made an excellent politician.

"How long does it take to get one damn car?" Ari asked, wiping her hands on a rag as they all walked down to the parking garage. "Tom's been gone for _hours_."

"Probably looking for the best deal. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case," Stanton said, appearing out of nowhere between the pilots with a few officers in tow. Riley and Andrew jumped away, startled by her sudden appearance. "I already called him to tell him to get moving," Stanton continued, eyeing the car entrance to the base. At this point, they had gathered down in the garage, and Alexis could sense the general's impatience as time wore on.

"Hey," Ari said, spotting the rookies. "Guess what guys?" Her tone suggested that a round of bragging was about to start.

"Huh?" Marty answered, rising to Ari's carefully laid bait.

"We, as in Tyler, Davis, and Alexis, are going on a little road trip to the Hoover Dam tomorrow," Ari bragged, grinning at the prospect. "_You_ are going to stay here with Tom and run drills."

"Doesn't Stryker have to stay behind?" Rad asked, clearly jealous of the sudden turn of events. "Technically, he's a rookie too."

"Alexis volunteered him. Besides, who's checking?" Ari asked sweetly. "Unless you have a problem with that for some, _bizarre_ reason?" she pressed, her tone suggesting that she was on the verge on uncovering some critical tidbit of information.

Rad scowled in Starscream's direction, which was enough to inflate Starscream's ego a little more. Alexis didn't like where this rivalry was going… she had a feeling that both of them were planning to shove the opponent completely out of the picture. She was going to have to avoid them when the push came to a shove.

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Stanton seethed, checking her watch for what seemed like the fifteenth time. "Commander, how long does it take to get _one_ car?"

"Perhaps he's checking to make sure it's sabotage-proof so that we don't have another episode of speed demons again," Randall suggested.

"Will everyone just let that go?" Ari suddenly demanded. "I am just _sick_ of everyone bringing it up. It was the stupid cop's fault; he was chasing _me _for no apparent reason!" She whirled to Stanton and demanded, "Would you believe me if I said it was the same guy from Los Angeles three years ago?"

"Probably not, unless you have a photograph or some kind of evidence to back your claim up," Stanton said, not looking up from her cell phone, which she was fingering as though she was about to call Tom.

"Don't worry, she did the same thing to me when I thought Stryker was up to no good," Alexis muttered to Ari.

"Was he?" Ari asked, her loud voice catching Starscream's attention.

Alexis didn't hesitate to think about the response. "Yep, he was up to a world of no good," she muttered back, and Ari snickered in Starscream's direction. Alexis glanced at him and was somewhat pleased to see that his jaw was twitching. Well, he should know by now that she tried not to lie to her friends, and that she counted the attempted assassinations as 'no good'.

"You still think he's in cahoots with the cop?" Ari muttered back, glancing at him.

"Yeah, but General Stanton probably expects to see evidence linking the two, so I'm not going to bother. I don't think he or the cop is going to be much of a problem for now though," Alexis replied.

"What makes you so sure?"

Alexis smiled sweetly and said, "Call it a hunch."

Before Ari could say anything though, there was a roar of a truck engine, and very familiar black GMC Topkick pulled up to the group waiting outside the stairwell that connected the corridor with the underground parking garage. Alexis noticed Starscream step back as though the vehicle repelled him, and she made an educated guess that the truck was also another alien being in disguise, but one that Starscream particularly disliked.

"Alexis, is it just me or is that the same truck we went joy-riding around Mission City in?" Ari muttered, partially reading Alexis's thoughts.

"Just don't bring it up," Alexis advised.

The engine powered down, and a door opened. Tom climbed out of the driver's side while the semi-terrified private tumbled out of the passenger side. The private scrambled to his feet and darted away back into the base without acknowledging Stanton or any of the other officers present.

"Ignore the kid," Tom said, walking around the front to greet Stanton. "He claims he saw a man disappear into thin air while I was negotiating with the truck's owner. He was terrified the whole way back." He tossed a set of keys to Stanton. "Oh, you can sic one of Riley's 'famous aliens' on me; your passenger door has a three-inch nick on it. Dunno what happened; I think the ambulance dinged it."

"Why was there an ambulance?" Stanton asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"After the private saw the man disappear, he fainted dead away. Paramedics diagnosed that he was dehydrated and hallucinating. Private thinks the truck is haunted."

Stanton made a huffing sound. "Know where I can find one of the 'famous aliens'?" she asked, pocketing her keys and glaring at her sergeant.

"Try checking in the main hangar," Tom said with complete seriousness, but Stanton merely rolled her eyes and walked up to the truck to examine it closer.

Meanwhile, Starscream had sidled up to Alexis. "I thought he said he would keep his mouth shut," he hissed into her ear. "That sounds like he's directly telling her."

"Tom said he wouldn't tell her unless she asked. He never said that he wouldn't drop subtle or obvious hints," Alexis reminded him. "He's always vague about stuff like that so he can have as much wiggle room as possible."

"Tom, care to tell us what the truck has?" Stanton asked, bringing the both of them back to the present.

"It belongs to U.S. Army Captain William Lennox, and he said it's got a tough metal covering. Gets good mileage, and is kept in extremely good condition. It's got four-wheel drive and the registration papers are in the glove compartment, but don't remove those." Tom said, kicking one of the tires to prove his point about its toughness. "I checked it over and it doesn't have any cameras of any sort, so there's no need to worry about others peeking into the job. Captain Lennox wants it back as soon as possible, but says not to fret if someone else picks it up. Some family friend also uses it apparently."

Stanton nodded approvingly. "You will give the keys to Preston tomorrow morning when the four of them leave," she said. Turning to the pilots, she said, "I want the four mission participants in my office in ten minutes. The rest of you scram and get back to work."

Less than ten minutes later, Alexis found herself seated in front of the general's desk, with Ari in the seat to her right and Starscream standing behind her, while Tyler was distracted by the frames on the wall.

"All right, here is the problem," Stanton said, tossing her car keys onto the desktop as she entered, rubbing her forehead in exhaustion. "We, as in the circle of command, have reason to believe that Sector Seven is regrouping without permission."

"Why should we care?" Ari asked, meaning it as a question of curiosity, but became quiet when Stanton glared at her.

"Let me make it clearer with an anecdote. When I was in the Pentagon in the days following Mission City, Simmons was all for discharging the survivors of the attack out of the army on the grounds that you all had 'seen too much'. He refused to elaborate however and then dropped the charges," Stanton said, leaning on the desk with one arm. "He wanted you all gone from the military for good."

Ari mulled over the information for a moment, and then said, "Count me in."

"Your job is to catch them in the Hoover Dam and bring back evidence of their regrouping." Stanton said calmly. "Nothing too drastic."

Both Alexis and Ari jumped slightly as Randall not so gracefully placed a box onto the desktop. Stanton opened it and reached inside, pulling out a manila folder. She opened the folder and pulled out a smaller package.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here are borrowed FBI ID passes. That should get you past whatever security Sector Seven set up inside the Hoover Dam. Afterwards, when you get in, you are to put the passes away so you are not caught with documents you are not technically permitted to have in your possession. The last thing we need is a lawsuit to deal with," Stanton explained, showing the passes. She put them away saying, "Once you are inside, you are to use the security uniforms in this box to pass off as building security. No one will question your presence, and no one should deny you access anywhere. As far as anyone is concerned, there is nothing to hide anymore. Do you understand?"

"What happens if we get caught?" Tyler asked.

Stanton sighed, and then said, "In the worst case scenario, you will be arrested on the spot. However, if that happens, plead the fifth and keep your mouths shut. I will try to spring you four out. On the other hand, in the best case scenario, you will be directed to leave the building."

They were quiet for a second, and then Ari said, "Then we should leave Tyler behind. He'll start squealing as soon as they bring out the handcuffs."

Tyler made a whimpering sound behind Ari, but silenced when everyone looked at him.

"This little paper is a parking permit for you to keep the truck close at hand," Stanton explained, showing them another official-looking document. "There are few people who know the nitty-gritty details, so I wouldn't worry about a security leak."

"I hope this doesn't go on our permanent records," Ari muttered to Alexis. "I promised my mother I would wait until I was married before I broke the federal law."

"We could hold a little ceremony for you and Tyler if you want before we go," Alexis whispered back in a teasing manner.

Ari scowled, and kicked Alexis under the table.

"Please be careful with the truck. As Thomas mentioned earlier, it is on loan. Preston and Davis are the only ones allowed to go near that steering wheel, am I understood?" Stanton hissed, glaring at Ari and Tyler.

"Unfortunately ma'am, we understand you," Ari replied sweetly. "Only Davis and Alexis allowed near the steering wheel."

"I don't even want you in the front seat," Stanton warned.

"Of course not ma'am. We hate making you upset," Ari said, still smiling.

"You will leave at five in the morning tomorrow, and return the next day. It is just a four-hour drive, but I don't want you all to push yourself beyond your limits by attempting an all-day trip. You are also not permitted to speak of this to anyone else whatsoever." Stanton said calmly. "I will have Tom make reservations at a hotel for you, so you don't have to worry about that. Any questions?"

There was a moment's hesitation, and then Ari raised her hand. "How legal is this trip really?" she asked.

"Under the table – double dealing – black market legal. Does that answer your question?" Stanton asked, crossing her arms and leaning back on her left leg.

"Yes ma'am. How much trouble are we in if Keller finds out?" Ari asked.

"Lots," Stanton answered. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. The passes, are they really borrowed, or borrowed without permission?" Ari asked.

Stanton narrowed her eyes before saying, "The less you know, the better off you are." Alexis figured that the passes were borrowed without permission with that answer. Stanton tilted her head at them and asked, "Is that all?"

"What if we need immediate extraction?" Alexis asked.

"Then we call upon Riley's famous aliens to create a distraction and bail you out," Randall assured her with a twinkle in his eye.

" 'Famous aliens'?" Tyler muttered to Starscream.

"An apparent running gag with the bosses," Ari answered, hearing Tyler's question. "Don't question it." She leaned next to Alexis and muttered, "Is it just me, or is the general _really _losing it this time? She always said the FBI junk was for extreme cases only."

It was Alexis's turn to scowl and kick Ari under the table.

"I want you all to get some rest for tomorrow immediately after dinner. Dismissed," Stanton ordered, and watched as the four of them retreated. She glanced at Randall and said, "That went rather well, don't you think?"

Randall only shrugged.

"How goes the investigation?" she asked after a few moments, glancing at Randall.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, you started it earlier this afternoon. All I have is a small group of technicians working on tracing the breach back to the original monitor. When we do find it, we'll be scanning security cameras starting with records from last week. Make a note of everyone who has been in the labs since then, the usual stuff," he answered. "Question: do you really think you can bust them out of prison should they be arrested for false documentation?" he asked curiously.

"I didn't say I would, I said I would try. However, if it gets really ugly, I will call Mr. Thayer. He has the necessary weight to pull them out if worst comes to worst," Stanton answered.

"Did you alert him to the security breach?" Randall asked.

Stanton looked at him as though he had asked a dumb question. "Of course not. He doesn't have to know everything that goes on here," she said. "Just the basic facts. He is in charge of the entire U.S. Air Force, and therefore does not have the time to deal with nit-pick details like this security breach. Besides, the breach only extended in the Area 51 network, not the entire branch of the Air Force."

"But isn't Area 51 not supposed to be one of the most secure and secret locations within the country?" Randall asked curiously.

Stanton sent him a withering look as she placed the necessary documents into a manila folder to give to the infiltration team later. "Do you _want_ to go back to your post on the _USS Shiloh_?" she asked somewhat quietly, a muscle in her jaw twitching. "Your captain was rather displeased when you were pulled out of the Navy in order to work here."

Randall managed to keep from reacting to the veiled threat. He had served in the Navy until October of 2004, where he met the general's husband, Matthew, in a chance encounter at a sandwich shop in Washington DC. Matthew had invited him to their apartment for the next day. Later that afternoon however, Randall had learned that the command he was assigned to, was heading out to Yokosuka, Japan within three months. The next day, Randall explained to Matthew the dilemma he had been presented with, and Matthew offered him a post within his wife's line of work.

Randall didn't meet Toni Stanton that day, so he agreed.

They were introduced the next day, and well, as far as first impressions went, Randall didn't think his impression flew over well with her. His first clue was her apparent disdain towards him. However, after hazing Simmons during a Pentagon meeting in front of the military leaders, she seemed to be in a better mood, and was more receptive towards his presence. Randall had stepped forward after Matthew's death, but since then, she made it clear that she tolerated him only because her husband had favored him. Otherwise, any relations between the two of them had deteriorated since then.

So he was reasonably surprised when she approached him about investigating the security breach. In his opinion, Stanton seemed to be attempting to patch up the differences between them, which was a positive step between them.

"I suppose then I should get back to work," Randall said, picking up the leftover supplies, careful not to acknowledge that he registered her threat.

"Yes you should. Dismissed Commander," Stanton said, and watched as he began to leave. To her mild surprise, he stopped and turned, apparently armed with another question.

"Why send pilots instead of professional infiltrators?" he asked.

"I send pilots because I do not trust my infiltrators. They have connections within the CIA, and I would not be surprised if Simmons had dabbled his fingers in the CIA as well as the Department of Defense," Stanton informed him. "I have personally overseen the training of the pilots I am sending with the exception of Stryker Davis, so I would trust them with whatever sensitive information they found out from Simmons. I am relying on them to bring it directly to me and no one else." She narrowed her eyes, and said, "I believe that will be enough for now Commander. Dismissed, and get out."

This time Randall left without sticking around any longer. Stanton watched him leave, and then she left for the labs, careful to lock her office after her departure.

Time to see what Melvin and his boys dug up from Keller's computer so far.

-----------------

A/N: Is the pace of the story still all right for you?


	27. Lesser of Two Evils

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lesser of Two Evils

_9:49 a.m._

_En route to Hoover Dam_

_Nevada_

_---------_

"Where'd you say that Stryker was again?"

Alexis tried _not_ to bang her head against the steering wheel in frustration. "For the fifth and last time, he's coming in by jet so that if we're caught, we still have a backup plan. He also said he'd bail us out by force if we did get arrested," she patiently explained.

"Why? Sounds like he was trying to avoid riding in the truck if you ask me."

"Maybe he didn't want to be cooped up in a vehicle for four hours with you two," Alexis said, but suspected that Starscream just wasn't a 'car person' and preferred the flexibility of flight. He would also have the option of sleeping in, seeing that he could easily make the trip in less than two hours and not the four that the car trip required.

"Was he sincere about bailing us out? He doesn't strike me as the type to do something that stupid," Ari observed, glancing out the window at the passing scenery… or rather the lack of it. Ari was getting a little tired of seeing constant desert with a few interesting sights breaking up the tedium of the environment.

"I hope for his sake he was sincere when he said that. Otherwise, we may never see him again," Alexis said in a grim manner, and then glanced at Ari, who was staring in curiously at her. "There are a few people within the government who are interested in having Stryker in their departments, and so I told him I wouldn't talk if he cooperated," she explained.

"So that's how you guys are getting along so well. Blackmail. Works every time," Ari said, clapping her hands gleefully at the discovery of a secret.

"What's with the jumpiness anyway? You're normally calm in a car," Alexis observed.

"That's because I'm happy driving. I was never good with being a passenger on a long car ride," Ari admitted, looking into the backseat where Tyler was fast asleep, a sweatshirt serving as an improvised pillow. Apparently he wasn't good with getting up at five in the morning and spending the first four hours of the day in the back of a truck.

"If you weren't going to be happy on the trip, then why did you volunteer?" Alexis asked. "You knew all along that we'd be in a car, and that you could have safely assumed that you wouldn't be driving."

"It was either come on the ride or stay with Tom. He was acting like a real grouch yesterday… I wonder sometimes what got his knickers in a twist," Ari said, adjusting the rear-view mirror so that she could fix her hair a bit. Alexis scowled and adjusted the mirror back so that she could drive without risking their lives.

"Ari, we'd have to go back tomorrow anyway. I think that General Stanton wants us to finish quickly so that we can get back as soon as possible," Alexis reminded her.

Ari snorted. "Yeah, I think Stanton has a few loose screws for sure now. It's like she's trying to keep everyone under control while pursuing her own agenda. Nobody knows what she's up to anymore because she learned from the errors from two years ago. Since nobody knows what she wants anymore, it looks like she has us chasing shadows just to give us busy work so she can plot someone's downfall in peace and privacy," she said, pulling out a bag of cookies she'd snitched from the kitchens earlier that morning. "Want one?" she offered before taking two and eating them at the same time.

Alexis politely declined the offered food. "I'm just glad to get out of Tom's view; it sometimes felt as though he was breathing down my neck," she said, keeping an eye on the traffic behind her.

"Yeah, what did you guys _really_ do to tick him off like that?" Ari demanded, twisting in her seat to face Alexis.

"For the last time, Stryker and I took out the huge portion of the hangar wall. That's all I'm telling you," Alexis snapped, managing to refrain from accelerating in slight anger.

"That last phrase generally means there is more to the story than you're letting on," Ari easily countered.

Alexis knew that she couldn't tell Ari the truth; sooner or later she'd tell someone else and then Alexis was in trouble with Starscream for even opening her mouth. "Just let it go. I am letting you sit up in the front seat after all, and I can easily kick you back into the backseat," Alexis said, settling for a threat rather than the truth. Ari grumbled privately to herself about some injustice, but otherwise remained silent.

There was shuffling in the backseat. "Are we there yet?" Tyler mumbled sleepily from where he was lying.

"I totally knew he was going to ask that at some point," Ari grumbled as Alexis shook her head disapprovingly.

"Sorry Tyler, we're not there yet. We've got another ten to fifteen minutes to go," Alexis said, and sighed when she heard a _phump_, announcing that Tyler was back to slouching and sleeping.

"He'll wreck his back someday doing that," Ari muttered so that Alexis could hear. Alexis nodded in agreement.

Alexis slowed down as she entered the exit ramp, and came to a gentle stop at the traffic light at the bottom. If she had been there a few seconds earlier, she would have made it in time for the green light, but she wasn't that lucky today it seemed.

As they waited for the light, Alexis heard a strange whimpering sound to her right. She turned and was surprised to see Ari cowering away from the window, holding up an _In Touch Weekly_ magazine to shield her face from the glass. "I don't know how the hell the idiot does it," Ari whimpered, looking sad and frustrated at the same time. "Wherever I am, _he's _there too!"

Alexis straightened in her seat as Ari lowered the magazine a bit so she could see out better. She swore quietly when the sight of a very familiar black-and-white vehicle next to them in the right-turn-only lane greeted her. She sunk back into her seat and whispered, "Maybe if we don't obviously react to his presence, he won't notice us." She sat up straighter to look again and said, "Well, at least his fender is fixed." She sat back down before the police officer could notice her staring. There was a chance after all he would recognize the truck and make assumptions about the driver.

"Maybe I should invest in a restraining order, just to keep the psycho away," Ari whispered, clearly shaken.

"That'll be a first for his department. A restraining order against one of their own," Alexis said as the traffic light changed to a green light. To Alexis's relief, the cruiser turned right as she headed straight, so there was a chance that it was a coincidence and that she would never have to encounter him again on this trip.

Ari was quiet as Alexis made her way down the streets leading to the Hoover Dam. Despite what had happened earlier in the year, the dam was still a popular tourist location. If anything the popularity increased with the recent attention from the media.

Alexis then wondered what Starscream was going to do. He would be here way before them, but would undoubtedly have difficulty finding a hiding spot. Besides, one didn't see an F-22 parked on a rooftop or soaring in the skies. She was secretly grateful that the small headset was tucked away in one of her jacket's pockets; since it wasn't on, she was incapable of helping him. That meant she didn't have to deal with his sassiness for now, and could focus on more important issues at hand.

Such as finding a good and appropriate parking place for the truck for example.

"Ari, where do I go from here?" Alexis asked, slowing down so she could see what she was doing and avoid hitting the children who were darting into the street.

There was a ruffle of papers as Ari poked around in the folder to find the appropriate sheet. "According to the instructions the general gave us, you should take a left up here," she said, gesturing to the nearest street. "Then you continue straight for half a mile and then turn right into a service entrance."

"Sounds simple enough," Alexis replied. "Can you keep an eye out for the service entrance please?"

Ari nodded and stared out her window, but whether she was looking for the service entrance or just watching the passing scenery was up for debate. Alexis focused on the road ahead, slowing down when she spotted the decrease in the speed limit. The area they were now in was slightly deserted since all the tourist attractions were behind them. The entire area suggested that it was in poor repair, since there were crumbling buildings and potholes in the street

"The service entrance is over there," Ari muttered, pointing out the entrance. "After you get in, just follow the neon-yellow signs."

"Has Stanton ever been here before? How else would she know about the signs?" Alexis asked, obeying the instructions.

Ari shrugged. "Who knows anymore?" she muttered.

Alexis sighed as she pulled up to a small security booth. "Here goes nothing. Ari, wake Tyler up and tell him to get ready to go right away," she ordered as she accepted the envelope from Ari. She then avoided eye contact with the guard as she handed him the sealed envelope. She knew what was in it: a letter supposedly from Simmons saying that the four of them had unrestricted access to the entire facility of the Hoover Dam.

Thankfully, the guard didn't question them. It was a hot and humid day, and he was sweaty and cranky anyway from being shut up in a little plastic booth for hours. He had no patience left to deal with the three of them, so he waved them through without even bothering to look at the envelope or at them. His magazine was more interesting at the moment.

"Ten bucks says he's going to regret letting us go like that," Ari said, shifting in her seat in impatience.

"I'm not taking that." Alexis replied, slowing the truck down as they descended down a slight ramp into the parking garage. She drove around, looking for the best spot in the garage. It had to be a location where they could easily access the building, yet escape quickly if necessary. She finally parked and then first shut the air conditioner off, and then the engine. Tyler tumbled out of the backseat as Ari pulled out the FBI passes, and she slipped one into Alexis's pocket. After everyone was out, Alexis locked the truck and then walked with Ari and Tyler to the elevator that was on the side of the garage.

"Hey there hot stuff," Ari said flirtatiously. "How was the flight? Where did you park? These garages don't exactly have jet-landing pads. "

Alexis had to bite her lower lip to keep from bursting out in laughter at Starscream's reaction. He looked as though he didn't know whether to be horrified or disgusted at Ari's greeting. Ari smirked in his direction as she walked past him, but Alexis patted him on the shoulder sympathetically and paused by him. She muttered, "You never answered her question."

"The flight… was fine, and I found a secure location," he managed to get out, although he was still slightly stunned over Ari's words.

"Any problems?" Alexis asked him, keeping her voice down low.

"A few for you," he replied, smirking. Alexis immediately tensed, wondering what he pulled this time.

But she couldn't deal with him at the moment. She turned to face the others and said, "Okay, we know why we're here, and so we should probably get down to work soon. Two go upstairs while two go down through the ventilation systems. We'll rendezvous once someone finds Simmons," she said. "Any questions?"

"We call the upstairs. I think you've had plenty of practice with the vents," Ari said, winking. Alexis rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I suppose we'll stay in contact via radio?" Starscream asked pleasantly, still keeping with the Stryker façade.

"Good idea," Ari chirped. "Wait," she said suddenly, causing Alexis to pause in what she was doing. "What if the psychotic cop shows up? Wait… don't say anything. Murphy Law says he'll show up if we mention the possibility."

" 'Murphy's Law'?" Starscream muttered so that only Alexis could hear him.

"One of the universal laws of human life. What can go wrong will go wrong. Mentioning the possibility is one of the few ways to jinx your luck," Alexis muttered back. "A good example would be the day of your arrival. Earlier, Ari and I had been discussing 'Riley's famous aliens', and then when we got back to the base, you showed up."

Starscream looked less than amused.

"Call one of us if the psycho shows if that makes you feel better. Then I will come to kick his butt if you want." Alexis assured Ari, who breathed a sigh of relief. "Just try not to panic at every little thing, okay?"

Ari looked less than confident, but nodded anyway. Alexis watched for a few moments as Ari and Tyler spoke to each other quietly, and then set off in their separate directions. Then she turned to face Starscream, who was calmly shutting the door that connected the stairwell and elevators with the main parking garage. "So," she began casually, "Was parking really that difficult?"

Starscream's calm appearance dropped the second she asked the question. "Yes it was," he snapped, "But that will be the least of your problems when I am through."

"Then what is the real issue her…" she began, but her accusation was cut off the second he used a hand to cover her mouth. She struggled against him, but he didn't release her.

"Do you and Aliskevicz want everyone here to know where either of you are?" he hissed, advancing on her. "For people who have been trained in stealth operations, you and Aliskevicz are _loud_," he said, watching as she tried to move away from him again by retreating. To make it clear he was serious and wanted her to pay attention, he moved swiftly so that he was behind her, allowing his arm to move more comfortably around her shoulder and face. His iron grip over her mouth made escape difficult. "Remember Barricade? Well, he's in the area, and he is just _dying_ to meet you," he whispered, making it clear that he was warning her. "While I sometimes exercise restraint, he does not. I will not hesitate to call him in to deal with you."

"What about our agreement?" Alexis growled, managing to pry his hand away from her mouth. "You still have to honor it."

Starscream waved her words off in a dismissive manner. "My… colleague and I decided that since I did not 'shake on it' for the renewal of our agreement, I am not technically bound to honor the agreement anymore," he explained, and she could just hear the smugness in his voice.

"What about the presidential secrets?"

Starscream looked fairly annoyed, as though she was insulting his competence. "We have broken into human networks before, so the Pentagon network will be, as you humans put it, 'child's play'," he informed her. "We'll be able to figure out information that even you didn't know."

"So basically you're calling me useless?" she demanded, tilting her head a bit to create some wiggle room for her neck. "Loosen your grip unless you want to break something else beside my ribs."

He only loosened his grip a fraction. "I wasn't thinking of useless, but that sounds better than what I was thinking of," he answered. "In the meantime, we will continue to maintain the charade for your leaders. They are oblivious enough. The general chooses to believe what she sees and is told. The sergeant seems to be under the impression that just because Megatron didn't lash out at him that I won't lash out at either him or you."

"What about Randall?" Alexis asked, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her.

"He's no threat whatsoever. Never have I seen a male allow himself to be pushed around before," Starscream grumbled.

"What about Sector Seven?" Alexis challenged. "They probably know all about you guys and will try to stop you."

"They are but a minor obstacle. Nothing but a pack of fleshy weaklings constantly getting in my way," Starscream snarled, tightening his hand around her mouth, and she tried not to react to the increased pressure.

Alexis raised an eyebrow. She gripped his arm and humored him for a few minutes by pulling at his arm, trying to pry it off so she could speak. He finally released her, curious as to what her smart remark could be this time.

Happy to be able to speak again, Alexis glared momentarily at him. "Oh yeah laserbrain? Remind me again, why exactly did you lose at Mission City if humans are nothing but fleshy weaklings?" she said in a mocking high-pitched voice.

Starscream allowed a hiss to escape his teeth. She was starting to get more annoying than Frenzy on an energon craze.

Ari unknowingly saved her friend's life. "_**Hey Davis. Did you finish yapping and start looking? You're being awfully quiet,"**_ she said in a singsong tone, her voice coming from an unknown source.

Alexis offered an insincere smile as she moved away from Starscream's slackened grip. She pulled out the headset that Stanton had given her and slipped it on as she began to walk backwards to the staircase that was opposite of the one Ari and Tyler had taken. She flicked the device on and offered Starscream a mock salute.

"I'll deal with you later," Starscream promised, glaring at her as she shrugged.

"Whatever you say, _domine_," she answered, giving him a little mock bow.

"Bear in mind that there is a logical reason that you are still alive and sassing me," Starscream warned before his hologram vanished into thin air.

Alexis gritted her teeth, and then turned around to walk up the stairs a ways. She wasn't going to tell him, but Starscream had picked a pretty crummy time to turn against her… crummy for her at least.

As she walked up the metal steps, Alexis pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. She pressed the '4' key for Tom's speed dial, and waited as his phone rang. To her dismay, she got his voicemail, which told her that he was busy off somewhere at the moment. "Tom? It's me Alexis, and, well, nothing is wrong but I thought it was necessary for you to know that we are all at the Hoover Dam now. Starscream has an ally of his in the area right now someone called 'Barricade'. I don't know what form he takes, but I didn't want to be the only one who knew in case something happened. I'll call again when this is all over," she said, careful to keep her voice down in case there were any unwanted listeners lurking around the next corner. She felt somewhat victorious now. Starscream's ally was no longer a secret and if Starscream did try something stupid, Tom would be able to report the ally to the government agency in charge of dealing with extra-terrestrials… if such an agency existed.

Alexis flipped the phone shut and stowed it away in her pocket again. At this point, she had a vague idea as to where she was inside the dam. The info-center for tourists was somewhere to the left and up, while the place where the Sector agents were meeting was somewhere down, if that was remotely possible. She knew there had to be another 'main' entrance somewhere, but it would be the entrance with the most guards. General Stanton had been unable to procure blueprints of the secret facility, and suspected that the data was under lock and key in the Oval Office. Even General Stanton wasn't stupid enough to hack into the White House networks.

Starscream might be though. Alexis wondered if she should mention something to encourage him on.

"Out of curiosity, what brought about the attitude change?" she asked through the mouthpiece.

She only got a faint hiss as his answer, and then she wondered if 'Barricade' managed to give Starscream something of a reality check. That would make sense.

Alexis paused on the metallic landing between floors and pulled out a screwdriver she'd concealed in her jacket pocket prior to departure. She hesitated as a thought occurred to her, and then asked, "Starscream, am I going to open this panel to find something poisonous?"

"_**I wish but no,**_" Starscream replied from wherever he was hiding out. He sounded bored, but Alexis could hear a faint chattering sound in the background. She decided not to call him out on it.

"Thanks," she muttered, and then used the screwdriver to pop the panel off the wall. Propping the panel against the wall, she put the screwdriver back and moved her flashlight to a more accessible location. The vent was running parallel to where she was standing, so she had to use the screwdriver again to make a hole big enough for her to slip in, which wasn't easy. Then she slipped into the large vent, which was bigger than the one in Area 51. Lying on her side, she gripped the panel and wedged it back to its proper place on the wall.

Alexis flicked on the flashlight, wondering for the fifteenth time that day what Stanton was making her normal agents do so that they were too busy to handle this job. Everyone knew that the agents existed, no matter how many times the general denied it.

"_**I am re-routing your signal to Aliskevicz so I don't have to be the messenger and relay everything. **_**You **_**can listen to her gab in your ear for a change,"**_ Starscream suddenly snapped, startling her. Alexis swore as she smacked her head against the top of the vent.

_Thank you Ari for irritating him for me; he was asking for it,_ Alexis thought as she heard a click and Ari's babbling voice filled her ears.

"_**Thank God it's you and not Davis. He is acting like a crab with attitude issues right now… what did you do now?"**_Ari demanded, and Alexis winced at the accusation.

"Where are you? I'm in the vents just like you recommended. Any progress?" Alexis asked, ignoring Ari's question as she crawled through the vent. She was beginning to hate this vent-crawling job.

"_**Eh, not really. Just walking around cautiously like I was told. Tyler hasn't picked up anything out of the ordinary yet, but Stryker is super jumpy, like he's got something to hide. Which is unlikely because that man couldn't lie to save his life. Trust me, I know when he's lying. It's so painfully obvious."**_

_Either that, or you're just painfully dumb_, Alexis thought dismally. If Ari were as good as she claimed, she would've caught Starscream months ago before Alexis did. "Do you see anything out of the ordinary?"

"_**Hell yeah. I just found something that looks like the Lone Ranger fast-forwarded to the twenty-second century…"**_ Ari said, her voice low and full of static. Alexis could hear her friend's breathing through the link, and began to worry over what Ari had found.

"Ari, just snap a photo of it and move on…" Alexis began to say, but Ari was already moving in.

"_**Wow. It's like silver robot the size of a kid… crap are those guns? The Sector guys sure know their stuff…"**_ Ari said, awed by whatever she was seeing. "_**Gimme a sec… I'll take him out…"**_

Alexis paused in the vent to listen carefully. She was tempted to attempt to get through Starscream and tell him to haul his rear down to help, but knew that his aid would be stuck as the very last resort.

Ari on the other hand had begun to move. Alexis heard a faint whisper as Ari pulled out the small firearm they'd been permitted and a click as the hammer was pulled back. Ari muttered something unintelligible as she aimed and squeezed the trigger. There was a faint boom and crackle of electricity flying free. Then there was a loud squealing sound quickly followed by another discharge from the weapon. There was still squealing, albeit not as loud as before.

"_**Okay, even I'll admit that it was a cheap shot, hitting in the back of the head,"**_ Ari said, and Alexis released a sigh of relief that her friend was still alive. "_**Make that two cheap shots to the back**_," Ari corrected. _**"Damn it's still alive… sweet. I'm going to go pack it up and throw it in the truck real quick. **_**This **_**is way better than any dinky photo for the boss lady."**_

"Just be quick about it, and make sure that it won't damage the interior. If it does, then you'd better hope Tom kills you before Captain Lennox does," Alexis warned.

"_**If this thing didn't have claws or a lobster's face, I would call it 'cute', name it Herman, and bring it back to harass the boss,"**_ Ari said, grunting with the apparent effort of doing something to it. "_**Hey knucklehead, lemme tie you up before I use an industrial hose on you or something,"**_ she snapped, presumably at whatever she was struggling with. _**"Keep looking Alexis. I'll be right back."**_

Alexis continued crawling, wishing that Starscream was doing something useful other than sitting around. She wondered if his 'friend' Barricade was around somewhere, although why they would want to chat was beyond Alexis. She distinctly remembered Starscream telling her once that he never trusted his teammates, but apparently Barricade was an exception to the rule.

She didn't know how alien minds worked, and she wasn't going to ask.

"…in the next several months…"

Alexis froze when she heard male voices echoing off the vent walls. As a pain as they were, vents seemed always to get the job done where normal hallways didn't. She held her breath as she peered down the grate.

The room below was cavernous. There were balconies overlooking the empty and limp machinery. Black burns laced around the walls, creating some kind of horrific pattern. Exposed wires hung from the ceiling and walls, and every little movement echoed around the huge room. Alexis vaguely recognized it as a similar set-up in Oroville, but was not too sure. All in all it felt as though someone had vacated the room not too long ago.

"We should have left the damned thing back in the Arctic."

Alexis looked straight down to see a group of men seated in various places, forming a loose circle. Simmons was in the center, pacing. He stopped and glared at the speaker, who shrank back from his boss's anger.

Another man straightened and said, "If we had done that, the Soviets would have found NBE – 1 first and possibly defeated us in the Cold War. We went wrong by allowing the aliens access to the database in Qatar. Data pertaining to NBE – 1 and the Witwicky mission shouldn't have been in Qatar to begin with."

"Hey."

Alexis's head snapped up and she managed to refrain from yelling when she spotted Ari across the grate from her. Her friend had a cut from her right eye down to the center of her cheek, but otherwise seemed fine.

"What happened to you?" she whispered.

"Herman cut me with his fingers as I was tying him up," Ari said, offering a cheeky smile as she settled down on her stomach to watch the men, who had descended into an argument over when things had started to go wrong for them. "I put Herman in the truck, all tied up," she whispered finally. "As I was walking away, I heard the truck's engine. I turned around and saw that the truck was leaving by itself… I didn't see the driver. I figured that I was seeing things until the truck was actually gone. So the truck pretty much stole itself."

"Did it take Herman as well?" Alexis asked sarcastically.

Ari nodded mournfully. "I didn't even think to take a photo of Herman because I didn't think that a truck would steal itself _and_ a robot," she grumbled. She looked into the grate and frowned. "What are they talking about?"

"Something about NBE – 1, or in your language, 'Metal Man'." Alexis said, clarifying the discussion topic so Ari had a remote chance of understanding. "Now shut up and listen," she ordered as she gently lay down onto her stomach as well. Ari nodded obediently and placed her head on the bottom of the vent so that her ear was right on top of the grate.

"Forget about it!" Simmons suddenly shouted. "We've got more pressing issues than that. We can play 'pin the blame' another time!" He turned to another man and snapped, "Ross! What does the situation look like?" When nobody immediately reacted, Simmons repeated, "Lynch! Pay attention!"

There were ripples of laughter as a sandy-haired man, Ross Alexis presumed, jerked in his seat and pulled his headphones off. He straightened his posture when he realized that Simmons was looking at him. "Well, the number of humans that know the not-so-little secret increased a bit," he said while leaning on one arm. Alexis suspected that Ross was guessing at what Simmons wanted. "So that brings the total up to… well, I don't know. I lost track after the president and the immediate Cabinet were let in. The potential addition to the group was a young paramedic at Mission City Memorial Hospital. Her name is Rose Connelly, and all I got was that she moved here from England about two or three years ago," he said, slouching again.

"Why 'potential'?" Simmons demanded.

"I say that because she hasn't given any indication over whether she's aware that her partner on the field is a giant Autobot who takes on the guise of a yellow Hummer. There was also an enemy agent in DC looking into the Autobots, but she vanished recently. That's it for the membership report," Ross said, winking at his boss.

"General Stanton is honing in on them," another man interrupted, and Ari visibly perked up a bit. "An agent reported something about taped phone calls and an entire database dedicated to the 'terrorist attacks'."

"I thought Stanton faded away to nothingness after the boss triumphed over her in court two years ago," a frail-looking man cut in, looking confused.

"She… escaped in a very Stanton-like fashion: by the skin of her teeth," Simmons growled. "Stanton is being kind enough to open up another war front by reacting to Mission City like this. Let me cut it down for you. John Keller, the Secretary of Defense, think we all disbanded and that I'm one of his best friends. The two of us, meaning Keller and I, are helping the Autobots discreetly stay here and are working to prevent the information from leaking out to the American public. The Autobots also think that Sector Seven is a thing of the past."

"However, we, as in Sector Seven, are using Keller to edge General Antonia Stanton completely out of the picture, since she can testify to the existence of the Autobots. We are also secretly working on safety measures to successfully shut down the Autobots and any other transforming alien if they threaten the peace and stability here. Antonia however thinks that _everybody_, including Keller, is the enemy and she's working to eliminate _all_ of her opponents, even the ones she's not aware of," Ross said, shrugging when he noticed his boss's displeasure at being interrupted.

"There's also the upcoming UN summit to think about. General Stanton will probably find a way to invite herself since they will be discussing the terrorist attacks," Tom Banachek said, walking into the room. "Reginald, I just saw one of those Autobots leaving the parking garage as I was going in," he said, looking worried.

"Which one?" Simmons demanded, his expression sliding from calm to panic in seconds.

"The weapons specialist."

"Someone had better tell me what 'Autobots' are or Lord knows I will scream loud enough to get caught," Ari growled quietly as the men below voiced their discontentment with the new turn of events.

"Riley's aliens?" Alexis guessed.

"I've heard that phrase so many times that I'm actually starting to believe it," Ari grumbled.

"What's with the UN summit and all that?" Alexis whispered, still confused at the apparent high level of severity of the situation.

Ari groaned. "Alexis, if I knew, I would be in politics, not the military," she said, rubbing her temples. "In my opinion, politics is a spectator sport. It's easier to pick a team and root for them rather than understanding all the rules. Football is a good example of that…"

"Football isn't that bad," Alexis said, frowning. She checked her watch and then whispered, "Is it just me, or has Stryker been awfully quiet…"

"Naw, Tyler's been awfully quiet too. Do you think Davis finally snapped and killed Tyler?" Ari asked, looking up at Alexis.

As if waiting for some hidden cue, there was an ear-shattering _boom_ somewhere above them. The entire room shook, causing dust and small metallic items to fall down to the ground. The second explosion came seconds after the first, and the earth shook violently with the blast.

Alexis didn't bother to stay and see what the Sector Seven agents did. She pulled Ari's collar, unwilling to remain inside an enclosed environment while the room fell down all around them. If either one of them slipped into the giant room below, it was certain death that waited for them. Alexis made a mental note never to do this again… it always ended badly.

She used her head to knock the loose panel off the wall, and clambered out, Ari falling out on top of her. They both jumped up and tried to run, but the next explosion knocked them back to the ground.

"Ten bucks says that Davis had a hand in it. Guys who like explosives tend to…_ehhh_… require extra supervision," Ari grunted as she pulled herself from underneath Alexis.

"I'm not taking that." Alexis said as she scrambled to her feet. "Let's get out of here before the whole place collapses." She paused long enough to shield herself from some falling plaster with her left arm before running again.

"Tyler isn't picking up!" Ari wailed as she ran to keep up with Alexis. "Should we look for him?"

Alexis didn't stop running but did think about it. "We'll have to leave him behind and hope that he gets out. It's better that we lose one man rather than four, especially with the information we" she said, knowing that she was condemning Tyler to death, but she wasn't sure of any other course of action to take. She tripped as another explosion rocked the building.

Ari gritted her teeth but didn't argue.

By the time they reached the entrance to parking garage, they were tired, dirty, and bleeding. Ari had new cuts along with the old ones on her face, and Alexis had rips in her uniform, betraying the injuries underneath. She knew they would have to change clothes to cover everything up… once they retrieved the truck.

As a plus however, the explosions had finally stopped.

To Ari's dismay, they had to walk out of the parking garage since they no longer had a vehicle to use. Alexis was already skimming through her cell phone contacts, wondering whom she should tell first about the theft, Captain Lennox or Tom. Then she put the phone away and continued to walk in front of Ari as they climbed up the service ramp, looking for the busy streets they'd passed on their way in.

"How long are we going to have to walk?" Ari finally demanded as they reached the tourist sections. "This is ridiculous. Can I at least buy a hat? Or sunglasses? Or better yet, _sunscreen_?"

"Ari how old are you?" Alexis asked wearily.

"Thirty-three. Why?" Ari demanded.

"Just checking. You seemed a lot younger a few minutes ago."

The place looked like the aftermath of Mission City. The pair of them wandered down the street towards the public entrance of the dam, stepping over stone chunks and newly formed ditches. Buildings were either missing the entire top half or chunks out of the side. It looked like Mission City all over again.

"Hey Alexis, check out the Hoover Dam," Ari said, her voice still shaking slightly.

Alexis gasped when she saw the damage. The dam itself curved inward farther than normal, as though a giant being had been shoved straight into it. Geysers of water were shooting out of the cracks in the cement, creating giant pools of muddy water at the bottom. Already teams were working to create impromptu braces to hold the water in and slings to support repair crews.

"Crap, I had no idea that Stryker and Tyler were capable of that," Ari breathed, and Alexis refrained from shaking her friend. Didn't Ari see that two humans were theoretically _not_ capable of such destruction?

"Let's see if anyone needs help," Alexis said, and began running towards the slightly damaged visitors' center, Ari close behind.

There were people stumbling out of the center when they arrived, apparently more stunned rather than hurt. Alexis scanned their faces as she harbored a small hope that Tyler survived despite the dangers that were present earlier.

"Stryker!" Ari suddenly squealed, more relieved than scared. "Stryker! Have you seen Tyler?" she called out anxiously as Alexis turned slightly to see Starscream's hologram exiting the center. To Alexis's slight shock, he had a few scrapes here and there, as well as a gash on his leg. He didn't look relieved or stunned, more like… humiliated.

"Collins is right here," he snapped, hauling Tyler along by the shirt collar. Tyler had a dreamy expression on his face, and Alexis surmised that he had either met a beautiful woman or an archangel in the last hour when he should have been snooping around the dam.

Ari helped Starscream lay Tyler onto the ground, and she propped his head onto her lap. She folded her legs into a more comfortable position as Alexis knelt by Tyler. "Tyler, are you okay?" Alexis asked worriedly.

Tyler kept grinning, and then said, "The giant cannon-wielding robot turned into our truck. It was pretty awesome."

Both Alexis and Ari looked up at Starscream at the same time, Ari silently asking him for an interpretation, Alexis silently asking for an explanation. Starscream looked between the two women, and then calmly said, "He is speaking a bunch of nonsense. I found him inhaling some gaseous fumes inside the building."

As Ari helped Tyler up, Alexis hissed, "Did he really breathe in some fumes, or are you just making up excuses?"

Starscream looked back in an innocent manner, completely opposite from his attitude earlier that day. "He was lying by some exposed pipes and I think he ingested some fumes from the piping," he said, tilting his head curiously. "Why, do you not believe me?"

"No. Are you really in pain?" she snapped, gesturing to the wound on his leg.

He looked down at it and then answered, "Yes it hurts, but not as much as I initially feared. It will require some time to heal, so I will have to limit the transformations."

"So you're injured for real but you projected it onto your hologram so it wouldn't look like you were actually tearing around the city?" Alexis asked.

Starscream nodded and then looked down at Tyler, who was more or less coming back to his sensible self… whatever counted as his sensible self at least.

"I think I saw _la princesa_ again," Tyler whispered. "But she had that… _guy _hanging off her arm again… you know, them," he said, gesturing with his chin towards the road.

Alexis, Ari and Starscream looked in time to see a yellow, black-striped Camaro pull up neatly to the curb. Alexis recognized the two teens that got out, the boy and girl from the Mission City cleanup. The girl was the same one that Tyler had flirted briefly with when he had wandered off that one time.

For a split second, Alexis and Starscream made eye contact with the teens. In that second of silence, war was silently declared, and battle lines were drawn, although for what Alexis wasn't sure she knew. Alexis quietly observed as another teen and an older man joined the pair, demonstrating the superiority in numbers.

"Behave," Alexis muttered out of the corner of her mouth as the oldest man of the group casually approached. "In fact, do me a favor and don't speak at all."

"With pleasure," Starscream hissed through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me are you lost? Your friend looks as though she doesn't know where she is going," the newcomer observed. Alexis glanced to see Ari still propping Tyler up while trying to look at a half-folded map at the same time.

"Our truck was stolen. It was a black GMC Topkick, 2007 model, I think. It belongs to a close friend of ours, and I would hate to report it missing to the police and to my friend," Alexis said, knowing that her tone implied that she suspected the man before her of stealing it. "It had the pieces of my friend's science project bundled up in the backseat. Did you see it?"

"What is the license number?" the man asked casually. Past him, Alexis could see the other three younger people watching both their comrade and Starscream. Starscream scowled at them when he realized that they were watching him.

"The license number was 117-MCP, and was obviously a Nevada plate," Alexis said, looking at the man. She sensed Starscream about to fire a smart comment off, and elbowed him hard in the ribs. He gritted his teeth and hissed softly again.

"Then I think that one is yours," the man said, pointing to the black truck at the end of the row of vehicles in the parking lot of the visitors' center. Without another word, he calmly retreated to his companions, and the four of them leaned against the Camaro slightly as they discussed something that was evidently important.

"Ari over here!" Alexis shouted as she unlocked the car. Ari half-dragged half carried Tyler over to the vehicle.

"Damn, Herman left," Ari observed sadly as she hoisted Tyler into the backseat. She clambered into the backseat as well as Alexis waited expectantly for Starscream to get in.

"Are you coming or not?" she asked impatiently as he stood there, still deciding whether to get in or not. "You can go back to your jet form later," she reminded him. "Those people are still nearby."

Starscream was wearing a tight expression on his face as he climbed into the front passenger seat. "I hate this very much," he grumbled.

"Here's a suggestion. Grit your teeth and bear it in silence… and buckle up," Ari snapped from the backseat. "If there's one thing I hate more than liars, it's whiners."

Starscream remained quiet.

Alexis found the hotel without any more problems, the only issue being Tyler singing random songs in the backseat, and then quieting after a few minutes. Starscream looked as though she had asked him to sit on cushion of pins and needles. As they drove along however, Alexis could see the extent of the damage that the mysterious combatants had wreaked.

"Can you ever go through a city without destroying something?" she asked, careful to keep her voice down low.

He didn't answer her question in English. Instead, he muttered something that she assumed were profanities under his breath in his own language.

When she parked the truck in a slot in the garage next to the hotel, Starscream was the first one out. "I will, ah, check us in while you gather your possessions," he muttered before leaving completely and vanishing into the hotel ahead of them. Alexis figured that he would just vanish after checking them in, if he was really going to do that, and leave her to make up the excuses… again.

She went around to Ari's door and helped her haul Tyler out of the truck. Starscream seemed sincere about the inhalation of gas… Tyler was dead to the world as both women pulled him out. He let out a loud snore as Ari held him up by his shoulders and Alexis picked up his feet.

"It's kind of too bad I forgot my camera. I wanted to show you Herman, we could have showed the dam to the general, and used the photo of Tyler like this as blackmail by posting it all over the Internet," Ari observed sadly.

"Yeah, what a loss and a shame," Alexis muttered. She was more curious about how much they were going to tell Stanton about their trip.

"You think we should get a doctor to look at him?" Ari asked anxiously, glancing at her. "Just in case?"

"I'll call someone in the area. Sasquatch doesn't like leaving Area 51 very much... remember? He said he doesn't do house calls outside a two-mile range." Alexis reminded her. "I'm sure he'll be okay though... hopefully." Alexis frowned, and then asked, "What was he doing in the visitors' center anyway?"

Ari smiled mysteriously at Alexis. "That's for him to know, and us to find out," she said smoothly as she helped carry him to the hotel entrance.

------------------

A/N: The character mentioned by the S7 agent, Rose Connelly, belongs the talented BlackwingRose, and requires permission to use elsewhere. Connelly will be reappearing in the story again (in 3 chapters to be exact). If you are interested, I recommend the Deux Claret series (BlackwingRose) in which Rose originally starred in.


	28. Accident

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Accident

The three of them left the hotel late the next morning. To explain 'Stryker's' absence, Alexis told Ari that he went to bed after all of them and was the first one up that morning, and was waiting for them to go. Ari had just called him a 'damn early bird' and tried to go back to sleep, but Alexis pulled her out of bed by the ankles at that point. Unlike Ari, Alexis was a little anxious about staying in the city, where there were Sector Seven agents running all over the place on 'damage control'.

In reality however, Alexis knew that Starscream was hiding out in the nearest airport. Apparently the fight yesterday wasn't enough, and he and Barricade launched another attack later in the evening, an attempted ambush, and this time the opponents turned the tables on the pair of them. She assumed that was what happened because Starscream had fled for the nearest airport, and now staunchly refused to come within two miles of the truck.

Things inside the truck were quiet. Exiled to the backseat, Ari alternated between staring moodily and checking on Tyler. Tyler had been sleeping ever since he had been gassed, and was currently using Ari's shoulder as a pillow. Alexis was in no mood to listen to the radio; the only thing that newscasters and talk show hosts would talk about was the Hoover Dam fiasco, blowing the incident way out of proportion and warping the details. The flippant and casual tones of the speakers were making Alexis angry, and she needed a cool head to drive right now.

"I spoke with the paramedic last night," Ari finally said in a listless tone.

"What did he say?" Alexis asked, aiming to reassure her friend.

"_She_ said that Tyler ingested a medium amount of non-toxic gas. Tyler will be sleeping while the gas goes through his systems, and he'll be hallucinating a bit as well. Otherwise, Tyler should be fine. I think he made up the thing about the truck, just to scare us," Ari said, and then fell quiet. Then she said, "You wanna guess the name of the medic?"

"No. Is it important?"

Alexis saw Ari nod in the rear-view mirror. "It was Connelly, the same girl that Sector Seven is tagging," she said, grinning slightly. "I know because I asked for her cell phone number in case something happened to Tyler before we got him to Sasquatch. We got talking a bit and she said she works in Mission City but visited DC a while ago. She happened to be doing something in the Hoover Dam area when the earthquakes hit," Ari frowned, and then said, "However, I didn't tell her that she was a wanted woman."

Alexis nodded in agreement and then remained quiet. Another pressing problem had been lurking in her mind lately; 'Herman' had slashed the backseat to the point where cushion stuffing was coming out. She had surmised that 'Herman' had been aiming for the most amount of damage possible. She hoped that Lennox had insurance and wouldn't sue for aesthetic damage.

"How much should we tell Stanton? She wouldn't really care about political crap like the U.N. summit." Ari said, breaking the silence again.

"Maybe just the parts about the Autobots, the Sector Seven objectives, and the mole in her command," Alexis suggested.

"I called Riley last night. He said that Whitmann heard a rumor about an investigation into a security breach. I think the general knows about the mole already," Ari said, leaning forward between the headrests of the front seats.

"Doesn't hurt to remind her," Alexis said, keeping one hand on the wheel and digging through her bag with the other. She pulled the headset out and then wiggled it onto her head. Ari took the hint and leaned back and then reached for the small duffel that had been wedged underneath the seat. She pulled out her mp3 player, plugged the earphones in, and then tuned everything out. Alexis did hear her mutter something about upgrading to an iPod at the approaching Christmas.

Big mistake… Starscream was still in a foul mood. "_**Now what do you want?"**_ he snapped.

"Screamer? What is the matter now?" Alexis asked, careful to use his call sign in case Ari was still listening. Her friend sometimes _pretended_ to listen to her player, keeping the device on 'mute' so she could eavesdrop on any conversation that was near her.

"_**Don't call me that if you're in the truck!"**_ he half-screamed in her ear, and she winced. "_**Now what do you want?"**_ he repeated, suddenly much calmer than before.

There had to have been a human or two hanging around near him if he was going to go quiet on her. "Well, I was going to ask when you were planning to return to the base, but now I'm curious about your dislike for the truck," Alexis answered.

"_**Let me put it this way. The gas did not affect Collins as much as you**_, _**your pesky friend, or the doctor assumed. He did in fact see what he claimed he saw."**_

Alexis was quiet as she struggled to remember Tyler's exact words all through yesterday, finally zeroing in on his last sensible words before passing out. Then she glanced at the mask-like symbol in the center of the steering wheel. Everything was slowly beginning to make sense. Alexis needed a few more puzzle pieces however, and it was likely that Starscream wasn't going to just fork them over. "Are you trying to tell me that the truck is actually a giant robot?" she hissed into the mouthpiece.

"_**I don't know about you, but I thought he made quite a nice impression on that dam of yours. Both Barricade and I had to get him there, and he did put up a nice fight,"**_ Starscream answered, sounding a little smug.

Time to knock him down a few notches. "What, and then he came back with reinforcements to beat the crap out of you? Did you get ambushed and are a sore loser or are you just losing your touch?" Alexis asked, feigning curiosity.

There was a _click_ to announce that he had signed off, although whether he'd reacted in anger or fear of being caught was up for debate. She managed to refrain from laughing aloud at Starscream's immaturity as she pulled the headset off and stuffed it back into her bag and continued driving.

The rest of the four hours back to Area 51 passed uneventfully. Alexis was hyper-aware of every little adjustment she made to the vehicle, including speed adjustments. Ari, who had been listening to music, fell asleep with her earphones still on and her head propped up against the window. Tyler did the same thing he had been doing for the last eighteen hours: sleeping.

Alexis privately wished that Starscream had waited until _after_ their arrival to the base to tell her that Captain Lennox's truck was actually another giant robotic alien in disguise. It felt so awkward to control a sentient being, and she wondered what Lennox did when it came to filling up the fuel tank… he would have to pretend that to keep the pretense for Sarah, assuming of course that the two of them weren't both in on it.

Wait a second…

Alexis frowned as she tried to recall the last time she had seen Captain Lennox and spoken with him. They had been in Mission City, the same trip when Ari had sent the unlucky police officer through Devil's Run. Will and his friend 'Prime' had been clearing up rubble and she had walked right up to them, and caught their attention. She had explained that she was still with the 401st squadron, despite earlier intentions, and then mentioned her involvement in the terrorist attacks of Mission City. They had panicked slightly, wondering if she had seen anything. Were they afraid of the answer, that she may have spotted something that was supposed to remain hidden?

She would have to ask him the next time they saw each other.

The truck suddenly jerked to a complete stop, the seatbelt being the only thing restraining the three of them. Alexis realized that they had almost passed the entrance to the base. Ignoring Ari's faint swearing in the backseat, she turned the truck into the entrance, and, after enduring the usual hassle at the security gate, she drove the truck into the parking garage and then carefully parked.

"Sorry for the rough treatment," she whispered to the truck as she pulled the key out of the ignition. Thankfully, Ari didn't hear her, and couldn't call her out on it.

After climbing out, Ari grabbed Tyler's shoulders and dragged him out of the vehicle. Alexis quickly came over to help, not willing to inflict any more damage or grief to the truck. Then she grabbed Tyler's ankles, and the two women carried him away, leaving their gear in the vehicle. Alexis made a mental note to go back and get their junk before Tom returned the truck.

"I… hope… there is someone… to help me… get this loser… to the infirmary," Ari wheezed as they walked towards the door that would open up the hall and stairwell, which connected the main corridor with the parking garage.

They were in luck. Riley and Tom were the only two who made up the small welcoming committee, standing there and chatting. They stopped when Ari kicked the door open farther so she could wedge herself in with Tyler.

"What the hell happened to him?" Tom asked bluntly, staring at Tyler's prone form. "I pay you guys to work, not to sleep," he said, leaning on the cane a bit as he eyed the heavy load that the women were supporting.

In the seconds of silence that followed, Tyler emitted a loud snore, and Riley coughed to cover up his laugh at Tyler's condition. Ari glared daggers at him before snapping, "It's a really long story. Now are you guys going to just stand there or help?"

"Mackerson, take Preston's place and haul Collins to the infirmary. Preston, come with me," Tom swiftly ordered before Riley could escape. "What exactly happened to him?"

"It's… a… long… _story_!" Ari half-shrieked, glaring at the sergeant.

"The short version is that he got lost, and then inhaled gas when we weren't looking," Alexis quickly explained before a shouting match could begin.

"I'm not really surprised…" Riley muttered as he helped hoist Tyler out of there to the infirmary.

Alexis watched the three of them leave before walking to join the older soldier as Tom turned to face her. "I got your message. Has Starscream given you any clues about his ally? I'm asking because I don't know what to do about it, especially since the general's car backfired this morning," he informed her calmly. At Alexis's questioning look, he continued, saying, "The general was going to go to the city on administrative business, and when she turned the car on, there was a clicking sound going with the engine. So she turned the car off to check it, but that triggered this minor reaction in the engine system. The general escaped with a few burns on her arms and a small one on her face, but otherwise she's fine… and angry. I wouldn't stare at the mark on her face if I were you, you know, to keep your hide intact."

Alexis shuddered. "Did the technicians find out what was wrong with her vehicle?" she asked.

"They said that the whole car should've blown, the way it was rigged up. Stanton is all jittery now, so watch your step and your words," Tom advised, gesturing for Alexis to follow him. Changing the subject, he asked, "Now where exactly is Starscream?"

"He is hiding in an airport somewhere near the Hoover Dam. He wouldn't get along with the truck," Alexis answered with a straight face. "So he'll come home when the truck goes."

Tom studied her expression, gauging whether he should take her seriously or not. "I don't even want to know why," he finally said, limping slightly now. He snorted, and then muttered, "So here I was, assuming that Tyler was the craziest of the bunch. I guess I was wrong." Turning to Alexis he said, "Tell Screamer that if he expects me to keep his secret from the general, he'd better be back here within two hours and be ready to go for the day's flight exercises this afternoon, truck or no truck."

"I don't think he'll like that," Alexis said slowly, remembering Starscream's temperament from earlier, as well as the fact that her headset was still in her bag, in the truck's front seat.

"He'd better. Sooner or later somebody is going to see him at the airport and report him to the nearest military base, and then Stanton won't be pleased that it's another one of her jets aiming to make a bad impression for her. I never told her that he took the F-22 to go to the dam," Tom said, walking along. "Now, I'm going to have Ari unload all the equipment while you speak with the bosses."

"Alone?" Alexis squeaked, thinking of facing Stanton alone.

Tom paused and looked around, and then said, "Well, I don't see anybody else here. Starscream has gone AWOL, Ari is unloading, and Tyler is still in dreamland. Yeah, I think you're going in alone." To end the discussion, he turned on his heel and continued walking down the corridor. Alexis sighed, and then followed him.

To her dismay, the trip to the debriefing room was not long. "Don't worry, I'll be in there," Tom muttered before gesturing her to wait out then hall before entering the room himself. A few minutes of silence passed, and then Tom called out, "Okay kid, come on in."

Alexis stood there for a moment to collect herself, and then entered the room.

The room itself was lit with natural light from outside, but it did nothing to lift the severity of the mood. It was actually a conference room meant for larger groups, but only three other people were there. Tom was there, sitting to the left of the center. He flashed her an encouraging smile, but then her glance slid to Commander Randall, who was to the right of the center. He had a 'poker face' on, and nodded slightly in acknowledgement at Alexis's presence. She knew that other pilots and even a few officers disliked Randall only because of his personal self-arrogance and belief that he was actually important to the operations. In reality, Alexis knew that the other officers suspected that Randall was permitted to stay because then Stanton could exert some influence onto the United States Navy.

General Stanton herself sat in between the two men, as though she was keeping them from fighting. Alexis could see a dark line on the left side of the general's face that extended from her forehead to lower jaw. She surmised that this was the burn that was the touchy subject with Stanton. Other than that, Stanton looked more exhausted than she did before Alexis left on the trip with Ari, Tyler, and Starscream

Alexis saluted sharply when she stopped in front of the three of them, and only relaxed when Stanton indicated that she could. She privately wished that Starscream was there so she wouldn't have to face the moody general all her own. She watched as Stanton leaned back in her chair in a way that suggested the general was privately gauging something about her... her honesty perhaps.

_Knock, knock._

"Who is it?" Stanton snapped, her voice cracking like a whip in the silence and causing Alexis to flinch in surprise. She turned to see who entered.

_Speak of the devil, and it shall appear._

Starscream walked in, looking slightly disheveled. His injuries had either healed, disappeared from the hologram, or were covered up. He saluted, and then resumed the 'at ease' position beside Alexis, although careful to stay at least a foot away from her.

"Nice timing," Stanton remarked, staring at the two of them. Alexis glanced at Tom, who was stunned at Starscream's abrupt appearance. He was careful to hide his expression as Stanton turned to look at him.

"Now that you are both here, let me make this clear. You will only answer the question asked as specifically as you can. Neither of you are permitted to ask your own questions. I am not in a trivial mood," Stanton warned, glaring at the three of them. "Now Preston, where is Collins and Aliskevicz?"

"Tyler is in the infirmary for inhaling gas and Ari is unloading," Alexis replied, wondering what Starscream's story was.

"Davis, why did you not arrive with Preston?" Stanton asked, reverting her attention back to Starscream.

"He was helping Aliskevicz carry Collins to the infirmary," Tom said, drawing Stanton's attention to him. "I told him to."

Stanton let out a breath through her teeth, reining her temper back in. "Very well Sergeant. Preston, did you find any trace of Sector Seven?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well?"

Alexis frowned as she tried to remember, and then said, "Simmons was only regrouping to get a sense of the situation. He's working against Keller, you, and the…" she hesitated here, not willing to start another intense discussion. "The Autobots," she finished quickly. "Ma'am, he also said something like you employed one of his agents. Then there was talk of tapped phone lines… is any of this making sense to you…I mean, hopefully it would," she said, adding on the last phrase when she realized that she had begun to ask a question.

"We are fully aware of the mole in the organization," Stanton said calmly. "Judging from the information Keller 'supplied' to us, we think that Autobots are another race from ours although the reason why they are a secret is still unknown. You do not need to worry over that; we will address the issue at the meeting later this evening." She cocked her head, and asked, "Anything else?"

"They are aware that you're closing in on them. Plus, they were looking for a paramedic named Connelly since she apparently has connections with one of these Autobots," Alexis replied.

"Thank you. Anything else to add Davis?" Stanton asked, glancing at him.

Starscream nodded, and said, "I have reason to believe that the Autobots caused the ruckus at the Hoover Dam and inflicted damage upon the dam itself. Simmons was cursing the 'Autobots' when he was surveying the damage." Starscream tilted his head, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Very well," Stanton said slowly, studying Starscream's facial expression. She bowed her head slightly to listen to something Randall was whispering to her. Tom rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

Finally Stanton and Randall straightened up again. "The two of you are dismissed for now. We may ask you to come back and repeat details. Do not discuss any information that you have learned from this mission with anyone else except for the three of us, not even with each other," Randall instructed quietly. "Everything that was discussed here is confidential and should be treated as such. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," Alexis replied, and discreetly kicked Starscream's ankles when he didn't immediately respond. She frowned; for some odd reason she hadn't made contact, but Starscream grimaced anyway.

"Yes… _sir_," Starscream finally hissed in a manner that suggested that he was warning Randall away.

"Dismissed," Stanton coolly said, and watched as the two of them retreated. She looked first at Randall, and then at Tom, looking for any ideas. "I will be bringing this information to the other officers later today after the flight exercise," she said. She lowered her voice and said, "Commander, I expect a progress report on the investigation at the meeting." Stanton did not miss the quick look of hatred that passed between Tom and Randall. She put her face into her hands. Would they ever learn to get along? Tom was being unusually stubborn lately; he hadn't given her this much trouble when her husband was still alive.

Alexis was careful not to slam the door as she left the conference room. She rounded on Starscream and snapped, "When the hell did you get here?"

Starscream frowned, and then said, "Technically I did not return. It is costing me precious resources to project and maintain this hologram, especially at the distance I am at. I found refuge in a canyon in the desert and although I detest it, it is the farthest range I could get. I am probably… thirty to fifty miles of here. "

She watched as he reached for her hand, and stifled a shriek as his hand went through hers. "I cannot project matter at this range, and it is costly to use the hologram at great distances. I refuse to come any closer until that Pit-spawned truck is gone," he hissed, backing away from her again.

"Before you go, Sarge says that if you want him to keep your secret, you have to be back before two hours are up, truck or no truck," Alexis said as Starscream checked to make sure no one around.

"Well, ask him if he wants to live to see tomorrow," Starscream snapped, and then the hologram fizzed briefly before completely vanishing.

Alexis sighed, and then headed down to the mess hall to grab something quick and get ready to go. She slipped into the mess hall, where the cleaning crews were finishing the cleanup from lunch. Then she waited until the chef's back was turned before stealing a bagel out of the basket that was technically reserved for kitchen staff.

Alexis managed to eat at least half of it before she arrived to her rooms to grab her gear. She paused a moment to just sit on her bunk and eat while thinking of the 'debriefing' session. She knew there was a huge chance that Ari was going to be hauled in for questioning, and Ari was similar to Tyler in the fact that she did not perform well under intense pressure.

Good thing that Ari was next to clueless about what really happened.

She was ready to go a few minutes later, and headed to the main hangar. As she was walking in, she observed Starscream of all people limping in with a few fresh burn streaks down the side of the jet. "Couldn't play nice?" she asked as she walked by the jet, and the engines revved in warning.

"Preston!"

She turned to see Andrew running over. "Is it true that Tyler inhaled gas?" he asked excitedly. "What exactly happened?

"I don't know. I just saw the after-effects," Alexis said, shrugging. "When do we fly out?"

Andrew mirrored her shrug. "I don't know. Rad's still sick, Tyler is still out cold, and Stryker apparently received exemption from exercises today. Something about working all through the night," he said, looking up at 'Stryker's' jet. "Sergeant just said that you and Aliskevicz are flight partners for today, and Marty, Rad's flight partner, is going with a pair." He turned to her and said, "Did the doctor say you could fly?"

"Yes," Alexis said impatiently as she walked towards her jet while pulling on her gloves. She figured that Tom wasn't in the mood to explain Starscream's absence to the general, and instead figured out a plausible excuse for Starscream… for now. Someday Tom would get tired of constantly covering for Starscream, and tell the general no matter what he said to them about keeping his mouth shut.

"Well, see you in the air then," Andrew said, and jogged over to his jet, which was several jets down from Alexis. She climbed the ladder into hers, adjusted the brace, and then closed the hatch. She waited until she was given permission to go, and then headed out into the noon sun.

"_**Crap, do we have to do this while it's hot out?**_" Riley demanded over the radio.

_**"Gimme a second to think about it... uh yeah,"** _Andrew answered,

_**What if you were flying somewhere like Egypt? It's hotter there than here. So stop your whining, and get to work,"** _Tom, who must've gotten the command post while Alexis was getting ready, said.

Riley didn't like either answer, so he swore at all of them in retaliation, kicking off a swearing contest to which Alexis turned the external links off so that she wouldn't be tortured any further by the crude language. She frowned; it really wasn't a contest when Tom was participating, he would always win, so she termed it as an uneven shouting match.

A few seconds later, she was in the air again, with Ari instead of Starscream right behind her.

"_**All right pilots. The exercise today is simple… targeting practice. Just aim for the targets with your weaponry and I'll keep a tally of who shoots what. The guy who gets the most will win an extra dessert tonight." **_Tom announced. Alexis rolled her eyes as cheers rang through the radio.

"_**Sheesh. The way they're acting, it's as though as Tom had just promised an early paid retirement."**_ Ari grumbled over the private link between her and Alexis.

"Let them rejoice. They'll be sorry enough when I beat you all at this," Alexis said, accelerating the jet engine and shooting down into the target range. She felt a little pity for Starscream; this was just his kind of exercise, and he was missing out on it.

"_**Cheater!"**_ Ari screeched before following Alexis into the canyon.

The instruments on the panels indicated that everyone had scattered. Alexis scanned the ground, wondering what the targets looked like.

"_**Yes! Got one. Beat that!"**_ Ari sang, and Alexis spotted the smoldering remains of a bright orange target board on a stone overhang. Gritting her teeth, she continued to accelerate to get ahead. She aimed for the nearest target and fired the whole board off its perch on a rocky ledge. In the process however, the debris knocked over another target that was underneath the first.

"Beat that. Two in one shot," Alexis said smugly.

"_**No problem."**_

Both Alexis and Ari were neck and neck now. The outside world melted away except the view from the cockpit as Alexis focused intently ahead of her, 'getting in the zone' as Riley called it. She kept a mental tally of the targets she destroyed as well as the ones that Ari took out. The two pilots kept edging ahead of the other in the score, making the exercise more like a tag-team race. The one time both women fired at the same time, the pair bickered for a few minutes over who should've gotten the credit. The argument was broken when Ari destroyed another one, and then attempted to resume arguing. That was when Alexis discovered that Ari could care less about the disputed target and was more intent on distracting Alexis so that she would forget to open fire. Another hair-raising moment was when Ari accidentally got too close to Riley as he fired, creating long black streaks on the side of the jet. Ari spent a good five to ten minutes yelling at Riley, who made no attempt to defend himself since he was stunned by the sudden verbal onslaught.

"_**Um, Alexis? You might want to think about slowing down there, buddy,"**_ Ari said suddenly, sounding wary. _**"Really slowing down."**_

"Ari, I'm not falling for that. Now that's a dirty trick. You shouldn't say stuff like that unless there is a malfunction or something," Alexis said, rolling her eyes underneath the mask of her helmet.

"_**Yeah, about that malfunction… Alexis, slow down. I think something is wrong with your tailpipes… or engine I can't tell from here."**_

Alexis refused to fall for it. People always underestimated Ari's acting skills.

"_**Preston!"**_ Tom's voice barked at her. _**"Slow down or land… and that's an order! I think you've got smoke trailing… damn it… land! Where is Stryker… tell him to get his rear in gear and make her land… Damn it all… can't see her well from here…"**_

That was when Alexis heard the sputtering in the engines. Either something had gotten caught in there or the wires had accidentally twisted, but either possibility was fatal. She double-checked the instruments, and saw that the engine was rapidly losing fuel, fuel that was somehow leaking and getting into places it shouldn't.

Alexis gritted her teeth as the panic began to rise in her chest. She guided the jet towards the flat surface of the canyon clifftops, aware that Ari was flying close to her on the right. The instruments indicated that it was the left side of the systems that were being affected. She guessed that was why slowing down was suddenly impossible.

Suddenly the whole jet lurched and Alexis clung to the controls with a death grip. "_**Sarge, landing is useless… just lost…"**_ the rest of Ari's words drowned in static, and Alexis flipped the radio off since the static was interfering with her thinking.

Time for Plan B.

Alexis began punching in the combinations to open the hatch and to prepare for ejection. She desperately tried to ignore the enclosed environment that was rapidly increasing in temperature as the jet accelerated, beyond her control now.

_Pop!_

Alexis refrained from yelping in surprise as she was ejected from the cockpit. For a few seconds, she was weightlessly being shot up, and then felt gravity regain a hold of her to pull her back down. She gritted her teeth, and then pulled the activation cord for the parachute.

She slowed down in her descent as the parachute quickly opened up. Alexis made the error of looking down at that point, and saw the jagged rocks in the canyon floor. She wondered if Starscream would feel thwarted, that she didn't die on the account of an accident and still left him with the dirty work of getting rid of her by himself.

An echoing explosion caught her attention. The F-22. She had completely forgotten the still-in-motion jet. She made a pathetic attempt to shield herself from the ball of flame that erupted from the canyon wall, but still felt something hot burn the skin that was exposed between her sleeves and gloves. A crackling above her announced that her situation had gotten a bit worse. She looked up to see that a small flame had caught onto the parachute and was beginning to grow.

Everything went by too fast. As Alexis was looking down to start looking for her pocketknife, making her plan up as she went along, she caught sight of a rapidly approaching F-22, its weapons primed and ready. She shrank back as the F-22 sent twin blasts above her head, severing the ropes that held her harness in place. As she fell, the same F-22 plunged down after her, somehow sneaking underneath her.

"_Shit_," Alexis swore as she hit the nose of the jet and immediately began to slide towards the front. She gasped in pain as something strong appeared around her wrist, and she looked up to see Starscream's hologram leaning out of the cockpit. "Ow, ow ow ow," she moaned as he unceremoniously dragged her into the cockpit. His hologram disappeared and the hatch closed the second she tumbled into the cockpit.

"I believe this is the second time I saved your life," Starscream informed her as he banked sharply to head back to the base. Alexis bit her tongue by accident as she braced herself against the sharp turn.

"Doesn't make up for all the times you've threatened my life," she snapped.

"Shut up, and buckle up. You knocking around in there causes pain to me."

Alexis waited until he banked sharply again before forming a fist and allowing to slam it into the side of the cockpit, and swore as arrows of pain shot up her hand.

"You know, I'm not even a medic, but I can tell you that your... hand is definitely cracked if not broken," Starscream said in a smug tone.

"Shut up," she snapped as she watched him began to descend towards the landing strip. She wasn't sure if thanking him was a great idea… there was always the small risk that it would inflate his ego. Then she shrank when she saw Tom waiting impatiently in the entrance to the hangar, because he looked like he couldn't decide to be furious or relieved. "How about I thank you and you shield me from Tom?"

"Actually, how about you let me hustle you off to the medics, you answer my questions, you thank me, and I shield you from your sergeant?" Starscream offered as he came to a complete stop in his appropriate slot in the hangar.

"Forget it. My deal or no deal," Alexis snapped. "What questions could you possibly have?"

"Must you humans always be so difficult and stubborn? It is truly a wonder how your race has survived for so long."


	29. Alea Iacta Est

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alea Iacta Est

"Admittedly Davis, that was a pretty stupid maneuver. The last time somebody pulled it, the jet crashed and both people involved were killed instantly in the explosion. You should never attempt to physically support a failing jet with your own unless you are one hundred percent _confident_ that you can land without crashing yourself. There is always the risk that you could be caught in the explosion," Doctor Sasquatch said, applying some yellow-white salve to a few burns on Alexis's wrists. "You are _extremely _fortunate if either the general or the sergeant doesn't find out about this, which of course is unlikely since there were several witnesses to the incident."

Alexis glanced at Starscream's hologram, and he looked bored. Of course the doctor wouldn't know about Starscream's special talent of silencing talkers or making up stories on the spot.

After he'd landed as well as a few other pilots, Starscream had caused a sufficient distraction by swiftly starting a fight between Jackson and Riley, first by whispering a few well-placed lies in Ari's ear. Ari of course repeated the information to Riley, who immediately jumped Jackson from behind. While Jackson had the necessary bulk for victory, Riley had the necessary smarts. Tom had to separate the fighters before limbs were broken, a feat that usually occurred within minutes of the start of the fight.

In the midst of the confusion, Alexis escaped the hangar and found Starscream waiting for her at the medical wing. He'd explained to her before he went in that the official story was that he had used his jet to support hers to land safely, only the rock couldn't support two jets, and so he'd pulled her into his as her jet fell into the canyon below. He assured her that there was only one eyewitness to the actual events, an eyewitness whose track record would keep the officers from believing her story if she ever decided to tell, because after all, Ari was notorious for making up wild stuff about things she supposedly saw.

"That… truck is still here," Starscream muttered as Sasquatch turned away to get something. "I will not stay here much longer."

"Where will you go?" Alexis asked, wondering to herself why she even cared. "Going without a round of twenty questions?"

He shrugged. "Fort Devon perhaps? Anywhere far from here until the truck goes. I do not feel safe while the truck is here. As far as the questioning goes, I believe I will do that while the doctor is not here," he answered, keeping his voice down in case the doctor was listening.

"You realize that Fort Devon is in Massachusetts, which on the other side of the country, right?" Alexis asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I believe that is the point," he coolly replied.

"Yeah, well, I'm not covering for you this time, get it?" Alexis informed him.

Starscream sighed, and then said, "For a human Preston, you are reasonably more intelligent than your peers. However, for some reason, I thought that we had an understanding that you would not tell a soul about the secret, and you and your leader will live to see another day."

Alexis folded her arms crossly, but spoke calmly, saying, "Starscream, I've thought about that for a while now, and I decided that the game is no longer in your favor. _Since_ you told me that the truck was one of your kind, and your enemy, I can easily turn to him because you never said that I couldn't tell anyone outside of my 'species'. Plus, I know where to find him. Now do you really want your enemy to know almost everything you plan to do?"

Starscream leaned on a metal table, gripping the edges hard as he contemplated the turn of events. Alexis waited patiently as she watched him trying to restrain his temper and refrain from lashing out at her, especially with Sasquatch still nearby.

When he was calm again, or at least calm enough to speak civilly, he released the table, leaving slight indents on the edges. Alexis watched from her seat on the bed as he looked up at her again. "Only twenty questions," she warned. "That is the only way I will cooperate."

Starscream grudgingly accepted her conditions; she knew that he wouldn't want to attract the doctor's notice. He seemed to muse over a few possibilities, and then asked, "If your commander was to perish, who would take her place?"

Talk about cutting to the chase. Alexis frowned as she thought of an answer that wouldn't compromise the general's safety, and then said, "If Stanton was unable to complete her duties, then her second-in-command would take over. Thinking on taking over the base or something?"

"I'll ask the questions!" Starscream snapped, but lowered his voice when he remembered the doctor in the other room. "Do you always end up in here after every combat engagement?" he asked.

"It's a trend that I'm trying to stop. Did you sabotage my jet just to get back for my smart remark about you being a sore loser?" Alexis hissed.

He ignored her question this time. "What do you know of Sector Seven or its leader, Simmons?" he said, working to keep his temper and voice down.

"I know that they were a secret government group and Stanton hates Simmons and knows most of his dark little secrets. Why did you save me?" Alexis answered.

Again he ignored her. "I need more information than what you just said about Simmons," he snapped. "What else?"

"Use your own advanced technology to figure that out. Like you said, I'm useless now. So why don't you just run along, find your friend Barricade, and get out of here so _I_ can continue living my life and _you_ can get back to your dominate-the-world plan?" Alexis asked, lowering her tone so she sounded bored to him.

"Why must you be so stubborn?" Starscream snapped, growing frustrated.

Alexis mimicked his facial expression and asked, "Why must you be such a pain in the rear?"

"I can always bring you down in an exercise or combat and claim it was an accident," Starscream warned.

"Tom would rat you out in two seconds if he caught you in the act."

"I'm perfectly willing to test that theory out."

Alexis sighed, and said, "You want my opinion?"

Starscream eyed her suspiciously, and then said, "Very well." He had a small notion that the pilot before him would choose now to be sassy on him.

"I think the only reason you haven't killed me yet is because you need me to help you stay undercover because you don't trust Tom at all. That's why you're still hanging around." Alexis said triumphantly. "As much as you will deny it, you obviously still need me."

"All right Davis. Go outside and wait there until I call you back," Sasquatch ordered, interrupting the escalating argument as he walked back into the room with a tray of items that looked suspiciously like surgical tools. "Now scram!"

Starscream reminded Alexis of a sulky child as he walked out. Judging from his expression, Alexis had a feeling she would be getting some form of paybacks later today or tomorrow at the latest. She knew Starscream would not let such an observation go unacknowledged, and probably needed time to come up with a even more severe threat to replace the one he initially made to keep her under control.

Sasquatch closed the door and then walked back to her. "All right Miss Preston. You know the drill. Just lift the back of your shirt so I can check your ribs and see if Davis's carelessness injured them further," he said calmly.

Alexis wiggled out of her flight jacket and then lifted the back of her shirt so Sasquatch could examine her back. Sasquatch made a sound of disapproval, and picked up the salve jar again. "Your wrists I can understand, your face I can understand. But your back, only the Lord knows how you managed to get burned on your back," he said disapprovingly as he applied some more salve. "Maybe I should assign an escort to you, just so I can get an idea of what kind of trouble you're always getting into." She heard him putting the salve jar down as he put on his stethoscope with the free hand and winced as the cold metal disc was placed onto her upper back. "Now breathe slowly until I tell you to stop."

She obeyed, and this time the doctor made a sound of approval. "Well, you sound the same as you did before you left the Hoover Dam, so I'm going to say that you did not injure your ribs," he said, removing the stethoscope. "Now I looked at the x-rays that we took two days ago before you left, and your ribs have pretty much healed. Although you no longer need the brace or bandages, I still advise caution." He frowned, and then asked, "Do you still not remember anything from when you broke them?"

Alexis remembered that she had pleaded amnesia when Sasquatch had first treated her, when she was still unsure about Starscream's intentions. "Well, not really," she answered casually. "What came back to me was sort of vague, but I think it had something to do with Davis and some, incredibly risky activity." She was careful to be loud enough that Starscream with his superior hearing would hear her words. "Although, I can't remember whether it was a robot or an F-22 that was involved as well," she added, frowning thoughtfully for the effect.

"Interesting… although not surprising," Sasquatch said, picking up a pair of surgical scissors. "Lean forward, and stay still," he instructed. Alexis obeyed, leaning forward and exposing her back to the sharp blades in Sasquatch's hands.

_Snip. Snip. Snip._

It felt as though her ribs expanded when the doctor finally removed the bandages that had enclosed her ribs for so long. She felt the doctor prod them with two fingers, but felt no spasms of pain. Alexis figured the trick was now to keep Starscream from hurting her like that again.

"Now that is done, let me see your hand again," Sasquatch instructed as Alexis pulled the back of her shirt back down again. He leaned down and took her hand without giving her a chance to react to the order. She gritted her teeth as the doctor's fingers probed the injured area gently. "Well, it's not broken," he said, examining her wrist closely. "Just sprained." He walked over to a cabinet and fished around in it for a few minutes, finally procuring a black sleeve-glove-like object. "This will keep your hand immobilized for the time it takes to heal," he said. "As much as you like Davis, please don't do anything stupid that will make the injury worse."

"I don't like Davis," Alexis immediately contradicted, glaring at Sasquatch as he helped her put the black brace on.

"On the contrary, there are those who think you will. The general and sergeant have a bet going on about whom you will select between White and Davis. The prize is dinner in Washington DC," Sasquatch told her while making a few notes on his clipboard.

Alexis felt her cheeks flush, although whether in anger or in embarrassment she didn't know. "That's… embarrassing," she finally muttered.

Sasquatch chuckled. "I'm sure Stanton will listen if you do not want that bet to take place," he said, putting the clipboard down on a nearby table. "You are dismissed, but I want to see you again sometime soon, understand?"

"Yes sir," Alexis grumbled as she stood up. She grabbed her flight jacket, muttered a quiet thanks, and headed out into the hall to collect Starscream and go back to the more populated areas of the base. She grimaced; she still had to thank him for saving her neck… literally.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Starscream was no longer sitting in a chair in the hall. He was gone.

_Uh-oh._

--------------

The late afternoon air was cooler than it had been earlier in the day. The sun was lower in the sky, but was still casting light over the sand and distant canyons. But if there was one thing Starscream didn't understand about the planet, it had to be the constant change in temperature. He understood why the climate changed he just didn't get how the climate changed so rapidly.

Starscream glanced at his companion. General Stanton was still as quiet as she had been when Tom had brought Starscream out onto the roof, delivering Starscream to the general. She hadn't acknowledged his arrival either. That had been ten minutes ago. If she still didn't speak in the next ten minutes, then he was going to go back in. He may have gotten similar treatment in another life, but he was not going to put up with it any more, especially from a pathetic human.

Stanton sighed, and then said, "I do not understand how you saved Preston. Please relay the story to me."

Starscream refrained from lashing out. That was the one question everybody kept asking him. "I acted on impulse," he said carefully. "Preston used the parachute to land on a ledge that was attached to the canyon wall, and I just picked her up and brought her back." He knew the story was different from what he told the nosy doctor, but by the time that Stanton figured that out, Starscream hoped to be long gone.

"How did you cram two pilots into a space that was meant for one?" she asked, still staring out across the desert.

"It was a tight fit," Starscream answered, mentally preparing an explanation in case she questioned his excuse.

To his surprise, she didn't. "Ah, I see," she observed calmly. "Thomas mentioned your intense dislike for trucks earlier. Is that why you wished to fly to the Hoover Dam?"

"Yes… ma'am," he answered, frowning when he saw the small smile forming on the general's face. Her unmarred side was facing him, but he still remembered the burn on her face from earlier.

"Where did you park?" she asked.

Starscream grimaced at the memory. "It wasn't easy," he answered. "Then Simmons's 'Autobots' made it even more difficult to escape."

"Where was Preston's jet when you came in to pick her up?" Stanton asked, switching topics on him again. He would have to be careful not to say the wrong thing.

"It had already crashed," Starscream said, knowing that the jet indeed had crashed before he had pulled the maneuver to save her.

"Very well," Stanton said, turning around to look at him. "Stryker, as stupid and reckless as that was, I thank you for doing it. It may seem like a crazy move now, but probably centuries later, everyone will be pulling it off as a graduation requirement. Who knows?" she said, shrugging slightly. "The point here is that you did the right thing, and that is what counts."

Starscream did not react to her words. Instead he asked, "General, I have a favor to ask of you."

Stanton inclined her head to indicate that she was listening.

"My… brother has been stationed at Fort Devon. This is the first time in many years that he has been stationed within the United States, and I wish to see him again. I ask for your permission to go to Fort Devon to see him again," Starscream lied as he prepared a carefully structured argument to use if Stanton denied his request. He really didn't see any need to tell why he was really going.

She seemed intent on surprising him today. "Of course you may. I just need to wrap up a few odds and ends with the rest of the squadron, including getting White out into the air," she said pleasantly. "Just try to be back before Wednesday of next week. That is when I plan to have all sixteen of you in the air."

"Of course," Starscream replied, more suspicious than relieved. The general was not being cautious with him for once. Maybe she was planning something awful once his back was turned… although he was sure that she was still clueless to his actual identity.

He saluted her, and she responded in a similar fashion. Stanton watched as he departed back into the base, and then heard the familiar roar of F-22 engines as he took off from the landing strip. She turned back around to watch the jet climb back into the sky, creating a picturesque image against the setting sun.

Stanton turned to walk away. She knew there was a game of some sort going on between the truck owner and Davis, but whom the players were and what the objective was remained a mystery to her.

The important thing was that Stryker Davis was now gone, out of the way, and no longer a potential problem. That was what counted with her. She could conduct her meeting without the fear of him listening in or spying. If he didn't come back from Fort Devon by her deadline, well, she knew Keller's phone number by heart.

She walked into the base and headed towards the same conference room where Alexis Preston had been questioned. Tom had told her that the pilot had been sufficiently rattled, and so had been honest with the general.

She opened the white conference doors and noted with satisfaction that a few of the attendees were already there, but eating their rather-late dinners as well. "Do any of you ever eat _at _dinner?" she asked.

"Ma'am, I always eat my dinner around eight. It's a habit," one of the officers replied as he started to dig into a salad of some sort.

"General, the techs picked something up," Randall muttered, appearing at her side out of nowhere, capturing her attention. Her silence invited him to elaborate, and Randall said, "They said that Simmons was talking to someone named Ross Lynch, and that Lynch said that their agent here was aware of the existence of a 'transformer alien' here at Area 51. I'm guessing that they are referring to the Autobots we've heard so much about."

Stanton felt her heart grow cold, but did not visibly react to it. "I understand," she answered. "Anything else?"

"The techs who looked at your car said that whoever rigged it had advanced understanding of mechanics and unrestricted access to the vehicle. The saboteur apparently already knew how to get into the car to begin with." Randall muttered, glancing around the room.

"Oh," Stanton murmured. Trying to shake off the ill feeling, she walked over to her seat between Tom and Randall's empty spot. Randall joined her a few minutes later, and she waited patiently for everybody to show up.

"General?"

She turned to see Army Colonel Marcus Kowalski looking at her. "Yes Colonel?" she asked calmly.

"No offense, but you look like you haven't eaten at all today. Here catch!" he said, and then tossed an orange-yellow-red package at her. She caught it with ease and turned over and examined the label.

"Marcus, I had a snack earlier," she said, looking up from the Fritos bag up to Kowalski. "Thank you, but I think that this is a part of your meal."

Kowalski shrugged. "It's okay. I've got a sandwich, so I don't need it too much. Besides, I was going to grab another bag after the meeting. It's all yours," he said, and then attacked his sub while armed with a fork and knife.

Stanton rolled her eyes and scanned the agenda for the meeting. The first thing would be a situation report from every officer. Each officer each had their own branch to control, and each had been carrying out her orders. Due to the recent security breach, she had no idea what each branch's status was, and now was the time to figure that out. The second item was a presentation that Kowalski was doing, and the third item was piecing events and evidence together into what she hoped was the truth of what occurred at Mission City.

"Marcus?" she asked suddenly, reviewing the second item on the plan.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up from where he had been chatting with his coworker and childhood friend Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Ryans. Stanton was not as familiar with Kevin as she was with his wife, an energetic woman named Kelsey who was also in an advantageous position as Simmons's chief secretary. Kowalski and Ryans were both the heads of the Special Operations branch, and were as close as brothers.

"Are you going to need to use a laptop for your presentation?" she asked warily.

Kevin began laughing as Kowalski turned a faint pink at the memory. "Yes ma'am. I promise I won't crash the network this time, my presentation is a whole lot simpler," Kowalski assured her, still a bit red-faced.

Stanton remembered that all too well. Kowalski had valuable information for Oroville, but there were too many graphics and complicated forms of media on his PowerPoint presentation. Instead of impressing Stanton like he wanted, he ended up crashing the whole network and short-circuiting the laptop he'd been using. To add the final injury to his pride, the lights in the room had flickered several times before shorting out completely.

"Thank you, I do want to keep the lights intact this time," Stanton said pleasantly, encouraging more laughter from Kevin at his friend's expense. "All right enough fooling around. Let's get down to business. Shut the doors," Stanton ordered, and waited until the doors were locked and everyone was sitting in the semi-circle formation before speaking again, "All right, we'll start with status reports from _everybody._"

"Can I go last? That way I can just lead into my presentation," Kowalski said, not bothering to raise his hand or wait to be acknowledged.

There were a few snickers as Stanton sighed. "Very well Kowalski, just please raise your hand next time if you want to talk so we're not interrupting other people," she said.

"Yes Teacher. I won't be such a bad student next time," Kowalski said in a mock-serious tone. Kevin elbowed him sharply in the ribs, but Stanton did not reprimand Kowalski for the remark. She wanted to the meeting to be slightly relaxed than in the past, for she needed the levity for her own sanity.

"May I go?" Levett, another ally from Oroville, asked. Stanton nodded, and the Levett stood up. The room became quiet, and then he began by saying, "The virus that has been plaguing the network for the last two weeks or so had been contained within a small device. However, when the technicians prepared to remove the device from the facility, the virus unexpectedly mutated and spread through the entire network again. They are working to trap it again." He hesitated, and then said "One of the Air Force One pilots, an ex-401st member, reported to me recently that the presidential plane suffered a similar virus while in flight. The difference between the two is that the one here has… human-programmed elements while the other did not."

"Are you trying to tell me that Sector Seven is using alien technology?" Stanton asked.

"Human and alien technology," Levett answered. "It's very complicated to explain, and I still don't know how Sector Seven acquired technology that advanced, but the bottom line is that even though humans programmed it, we would need an alien to effectively erase the virus from the networks. That is all." He sat down after finishing his report.

"Where the hell are we going to find an alien to do that? I thought the whole alien thing was something made up," someone asked.

"Davis," Tom quietly coughed, and rolled his eyes at Stanton's scowl. He sighed, and then stood up. "The Four-oh-first is almost ready for combat. I'm going to get White up in the air for the next couple of days, and I don't care if he's throwing up. He's going up," Tom snapped, and then sat back down.

Monica Wethersfield stood up. Stanton knew that Monica's brother was a member of the US Senate, so naturally Monica's duty was to stay on top of political events. "There is a fight brewing in the administration over whether to bring the issue of the Mission City culprits to this year's UN summit or not," she said. "The president wants to keep it in the United States, but Congress is determined to see the issue resolved peacefully so that the US does not wage war against the wrong people. The United States is in a precarious position on the international stage, and the government's next move could make or break the next position." She paused, as though trying to remember something. "That is all I have," she finally said, sitting down again.

"We might want to push that issue to the United Nations. You'd be surprised how fast people will confess when they really don't want something to happen but you keep pushing for that event to happen." Stanton observed. "Randall?"

"I have nothing to report," Randall said quietly.

Communications officer Tyrone stood up. "We caught a more clearer phone conversation between Simmons and his agent here. Apparently general, you scared Simmons into mobilizing and now he and the agent are going to go to Code Delta, whatever the hell that means. Also, we picked up an extremely garbled communication between two unknown parties. We were only able to trace one end of the signal to somewhere in Mission City. The transmission itself was a bunch of warbling and screeching, similar to the transmission on Keller's flashdrive."

"The flashdrive that never re-surfaced," Stanton muttered.

Security lieutenant Morrison stood up as Tyrone sat down. "Security has confirmed that the analysts have been communicating with Keller and a third party. We have the videos to use as evidence if the need arises. That is all," he said before sitting down.

The eighth officer to report admitted that nothing of note had happened in his department. Kevin Ryans, the second-to-last, finally stood up.

"Most of the agents on the field have been recalled as per your orders ma'am. One of them, uh Marshall I think, is in the hospital in San Diego after a nasty encounter in an electronics store. He claims he was attacked by a boombox, but the police officer who answered the distress call reported later that someone threw a boombox at the agent," Ryans said, looking slightly confused at the oddity of the scenario. "Also, Lucy Kingfisher wanted me to tell you two things. One, she was driving back to the west from DC, when she was attacked by two men at her motel somewhere in Nebraska. She 'took care' of them, but identified them as two operatives under Ross Lynch of Sector Seven. Two, she took the initiative for another assignment and is now doing volunteer work at Mission City Memorial Hospital under a false name. Something to do with recognizing a worker there."

"I told her to come back," Stanton said coolly.

"She said she is aware of your orders, and voluntarily disobeyed them. She accepted the risks of being out on her own, and is determined to carry this out." Ryans said.

"I promised her fiancé I would get her out of there. Tell her another agent can take her place." Stanton instructed.

Ryans nodded and sat back down.

Kowalski took that as his opportunity. He jumped up and half-ran half-scampered to the table that had been placed in the middle. He carefully placed his laptop onto the table, connected it to the projector, and continued setting up his presentation.

"Lynch is bad news," Tom muttered to Stanton.

"What makes you say that?" she whispered back as Kowalski continued working.

"He and I were close buddies when we were training for the Air Force. We stuck together until 1994 when he disappeared for two years. That was what persuaded me to join the little ragtag team that you and your husband had set up. In late '96, he reappeared, needing desperate medical attention. He was half-frozen when he dragged himself to my front doorstep at my house in New Hampshire. Turns out he'd accepted a job offer from Banachek and went off to northern Canada and the idiot forgot his jacket here in the U.S."

"When did you last see him?" Stanton asked curiously.

"Last year. We ran into each other in a coffee shop in DC. It was one of those things I didn't say anything about because I didn't think you would be interested," Tom said. "Kowalski, knock it off and hit the lights. The fonts are_ fine_, trust me."

Stanton turned to see Kowalski prepared to begin. "Are you ready now?" she asked. Kowalski nodded eagerly, and then calmed down enough to appear serious.

"This is nothing fancy, ladies and gentlemen. It is simply timeline of events leading up to Mission City, composed of eyewitness reports and other gathered information. The first date is 1897, when Captain Archibald Witwicky made some huge discovery, but was later confined due to the fact he had gone mad. We found no mention of the captain's discovery. His descendent is the Witwicky kid who nearly ran into the agent tailing him. Agent says the kid is a speed demon." Kowalski said.

"We have ways of dealing with speed demons, most of which end up in prison," Stanton said, earning a few chuckles from the other officers.

"Well, Oroville came after that. Then the attack in Qatar comes next. We couldn't scrounge up any information concerning that, except that the attacker was after the database there. There were no Air Force survivors that we could contact and ask about it." Kowalski said, clicking to the next slide, looking nervous. "Um, after that, the meteors hit California, leaving no trace of what caused the impact."

"We confirmed that it wasn't meteors though but something else." Ryans interrupted.

"Right. A little while afterwards, um, we know that Simmons got involved because Kelsey told Kev that she saw teenagers Sam and Mikaela Banes being hauled in for questioning, and they had been arrested without warrants. She didn't want to blow her cover, so she said she acted like they didn't exist," Kowalski continued.

"Banes, why does that name sound familiar?" Stanton asked Tom.

"Maybe because we chased a David Banes through California before cornering him on the Oregon – California border line because he stole your car in San Diego. It was also the one time you and Simmons actually got along with each other. Then you personally hand-cuffed him and hauled him to the police van when you discovered he'd dinged up the side of the car," Tom supplied helpfully.

"There was a kid with him wasn't there?" Stanton asked, trying to remember.

"Yeah, a daughter. Simmons was all for shipping her off to the DSS, but you assumed temporary custody until the nearest relative was located." Tom said.

"Please continue Kowalski," Stanton said, figuring she would pursue the Banes issue later.

"Um, our double agent in Sector Seven said that he had to pilot Witwicky, Banes, Madsen, and Whitmann to the Hoover Dam. Then he saw Captain Lennox there with Epps," Kowalski continued eagerly.

"Simmons was careless this time, not me," Stanton muttered. "He was so damn careless this time."

"Ma'am, the pilot also said that Witwicky said something along the lines that his car was a giant robot," Kowalski said carefully. "We, as in Kevin and I, think the kid's yellow Camaro is the robot, also known as Autobots."

Stanton raised an eyebrow at this, but Tom snorted disbelievingly. "What a load of crap," Tom said, leaning forward. "The pilot would have been focusing on piloting the damn helicopter, not listening to idle conversation."

"I uh, didn't say he was in a helicopter," Kowalski stammered.

"Well, was he?" Stanton demanded.

"Yes ma'am," Kowalski said, wringing his hands.

"Speak with Lynch anytime recently?" Stanton asked Tom coolly.

"No." Tom replied, matching her tone.

Stanton inclined her head to suggest that she didn't believe him. She remembered what Randall had said yesterday, about having found the missing translations in the cubbyholes in the kitchen, a space that Tom had conquered long ago and used to stash his findings. Tom's findings usually ranged from hidden documents to quarters and pennies he found on the floor. Of course, there was the information that Tom had given her earlier in the day to consider along with what Randall said before the meeting.

Instead of backing down like he usually did in the past, Tom glared defiantly back at her. "This is still about the missing translations isn't it? That's really why you're still cross with me," he demanded as Kowalski began quickly packing up his things. The officers had learned a long time ago to stay out of the way of any fights between the general and her 'victim'.

"I'm surprised you are brave enough to mention that when they're still missing," Stanton replied, turning in her seat to face Tom. "Of course, stubbornness is still a part of your personality so why should I bother trying to get you to say anything about them…"

"For the last, damn, time, I did not take the translations. You are just too focused on the prize to see that. Hell, you're too focused on the prize to see what you're doing," Tom snapped. "Half of the stuff we do is illegal, and we didn't do most of it for Oroville. Would you have cared if Tyler had died from gas inhalation or just have griped about finding another pilot to take his place?"

The room was dead quiet as he finished, still breathing hard. Stanton pursed her lips, and then said, "Everyone is dismissed. Thank you for your time." Nobody wasted time leaving; Kowalski even left his computer behind in the room. Randall however wisely left his seat, but not the room, remaining in plain sight. Stanton however refocused on Tom. Amazing how a word or two could start an argument.

"This is not about the translations. This is how you knew details before Kowalski said them."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Now _that_ is stupid," he calmly informed her. "You have gotten way too paranoid in the last couple of weeks to the point where I personally think that maybe you've gotten in way over your head, and are not emotionally stable for the task at hand." Tom saw Randall flinch at the accusation out of the corner of his eye, but Tom refused to allow the general to faze him.

Stanton refused to be defeated. "We pulled it off last time," she hissed.

"No offense general, but you had Matthew and the rest of your family last time. You had no reason to be upset. That is why I think that you are technically no longer fit for your post, you have no stability right now," Tom shot back, well aware that he had struck a nerve there.

Stanton however had been stunned into silence. That last barb had hurt, only because she was afraid for once that Tom was right. Instead of acknowledging his words, she instead said, "Perhaps you… overstepped your boundaries there, _Sergeant_." She leaned back in her chair and said, "Of course, this is all assuming that you never overstepped the limit of your abilities and somehow extended your piloting skills to other forms of mechanics and technology, such as computers for example."

"Are you suggesting that I siphoned the information with Madsen and Whitmann?" Tom asked, voice low in anger.

Stanton shrugged. "If that's how you want to interpret my words…" she said, leaving the sentence hanging. She stood up and said, "Sergeant, you are dismissed for the rest of the evening. I will not want to be bothered at all for any reason. Understand?"

Tom gritted his teeth. As much as the situation was bothering him, he had little power to change it for the better. He also knew better than to speak out again this time. "Yes ma'am," he growled in a similar fashion to Stryker Davis when she'd first met Davis.

"Very well. Randall, good night and sleep well. I will see you in the morning to discuss the little details we were talking about earlier. Sergeant, I want you to work on calisthenics with _all_ available personnel tomorrow morning for two hours straight," Stanton ordered, and Tom made a face at his 'punishment' before walking away. His condition had improved a bit, and he was walking mostly normally again without any assistance.

Randall saluted and then left the conference room. Stanton rubbed her temples and then checked her watch. She muttered a low curse; it was almost eleven p.m., and she usually crashed within the hour. _I have got to shorten these damn meetings somehow,_ she thought crossly as she left the conference room, shutting the light off as she went.

About fifteen minutes later, the conference door opened and Marcus Kowalski entered the room. He flicked on the lights and went over to finish packing up his stuff. It was always wise to clear out of the room when a fight was brewing, just so none of the anger was directed in his direction. In his hurry to get out, he had forgotten his flashdrive and his briefcase, which of course had his computer and presentation. He sighed; he would have to set up a private appointment with the general to show her the nitty gritty details that he never got around to that night.

_Creak._

Kowalski looked up at the door, which was still partially open. He glanced around the room, wondering if Charlie was in here. Well, if the raccoon was, Kowalski wasn't going to hang around to be implicated in aiding and abetting the animal. He turned back down to grab the last few items.

_Thump._

Kowalski jumped at the sound of a footstep. It must've been Kevin, waiting in the shadows as usual just so he could jump out and scare Kowalski. He would have to tell Kevin that it was not funny.

_Click._

Kowalski yelped as the lights shut off, so that the only light in was coming from the light in the hall. He checked to make sure that his small handgun was in a place where he could quickly reach and use it. Then he put his briefcase down on what he thought was the table and began to walk towards the door. His instincts were telling him to get out of here as fast as possible.

_Click._

Kowalski tensed as the door shut, plunging him into complete darkness. He pulled his gun out and pulled the hammer back, prepared to fire if necessary… even blind.

The attack came out of nowhere. One minute he was standing, the second minute he was lying on the ground, a fiery pain in the side of his head. He swore as his gun fell out of his hand and clattered away, useless now. Then a blunt yet powerful object jabbed directly into his gut, folding Kowalski in half from the sudden force. He tried to grab whatever it was, but only felt the handle of what seemed like a rifle. The object swiftly vanished, and then Kowalski received another blow to the side of the head again. His last thoughts were of the attacker's identity as he slipped into unconsciousness.

-----------

Meanwhile, Stanton closed the door to her office and allowed her public façade to melt away. She stood there for a few moments, willing herself not to fall to pieces. Tom's accusations may have hurt, but they were so true. She was slowly getting to the point of admitting defeat and submitting to whatever demands Simmons had as long as it meant she saw her children again.

She walked over to her desk and pulled out Amanda's letter, needing some measure of comfort. She opened the envelope and pulled out the lined school paper that had her daughter's messy handwriting all over the front. She smoothed it out under the desk lamp and read,

_ Dear Mommy,_

_I miss you very much. I wish you didn't have to go on so many buisness trips. What's it like in France? Dani said it was cold there, but I don't believe her. I don't believe her because when we went down to the pond yesterday, she caught a frog and then stuck in Danny's underwear drawer. She made me promise not to tell Nani, but she didn't say anything about telling you. When we were also at the pond, Jerry taught me how to catch a fish using his pole. I caught a big one and I wanted to keep it as a pet to show you, but Nani said we had to let him go home. So we let him go, but I got to keep a picture._

_I made a poem in school yesterday. My teacher liked it. I want you to read it, so here it is: _

Flowers

There are different kinds of flowers

They all have different powers

One should have a dose,

They say, a wiff of a rose

Shall do the trick

The violets will not make you sick

Daffodils shall brighten your day

Daises are as pretty as the jay

_Guess what? Chelsea recently got something called a 'permit' but I don't know why it is called a permit because it didn't let her do anything except drive Nani's car, which she used to hit our mailbox yesterday. Nani was mad about the mailbox._

_I miss you very much. When will you be coming home? Will you bring me back something French? I also want you to tell Nani that I can have a pet dog. Nani said no when I asked her, and that we already had a cat, but Roxy is so boring. He just sleeps on the sofa all day and sometimes bats at a string we dangle at him._

_I love you,_

_Amanda_

Stanton sighed, knowing just how much she was missing out at home. Nani may have been upset about the mailbox, but Stanton would have accepted the damage as a part of the learning process… and made Chelsea pay for it. Besides, neither Stanton nor her husband had liked that particular mailbox very much anyway.

_Knock, knock._

Stanton scowled. Didn't she just say she wanted to be left alone for the rest of the evening? She leaned back in her seat releasing a sigh as she did so and then shouted, "Go away!" She turned her attention back to the letter on the desk and then leaned forward to reread it carefully, to get a sense of who her daughter was becoming.

_Knock, knock._

"I said go away! Even if it's important, I'll deal with it tomorrow!" she shouted, not looking up from the letter.

_Knock, knock!_

Stanton sighed. Not even her work could have the sense to stay away when she said so. "Fine, come in," she growled crossly, not looking up from the letter.

She heard the door open, and footsteps enter. She decided to look up when she finished reading the last paragraph of the letter.

_Click._

Her body, trained by years of warfare and experience, automatically tensed when her ears heard the all-to-familiar click of a hammer on a gun being pulled back. Despite constant warnings to always remain still as to not frighten the shooter into firing, her head instinctively jerked up. For one second she froze to find the business end of a firearm directly in front of her eyes.

Then Stanton reacted. She pushed her chair away from the desk while moving to the left to get out of firing range. The gun went off at that moment, catching her on her right shoulder. She pushed the chair out from under her and took refuge behind the desk as the second shot went off, ripping a hole in the wall behind her.

Swearing, Stanton was breathing hard as she listened to the attacker reloading the weapon, having run out of ammunition. She rolled her eyes; only an amateur would take those precious few seconds in combat to reload when the opponent, who was less than six feet away from then, could just jump out and take them down while they were defenseless.

She gritted her teeth against the spreading pain in her shoulder as she reached for her own personal weapon that was hidden in a holster at her side. She took a gulp to swallow her nerves, and then stood up and aimed the weapon, pulling the hammer back just as her opponent did.

They stood there, aiming their respective weapons at each other. She supposed the hesitation was mainly from the surprise of the retaliation from the enemy's part, and the surprise of the man's identity on her part.

For a few seconds, both weapons were pointed straight at the chest of the other opponent. Time seemed to stretch, seemingly nonexistent.

Charlie, who was watching the encounter from the shadows of the vents, turned and ran for safety.

The last gunshot of the evening rang out. Then all was silent in the base again.

-----------

A/N: A ton going on here, I know. I apologize for any confusion; just let me know and I'll try to clear it up. The chapter title is Latin for 'The die has been cast', and also is one of Julius Caesar's famous quotes. Caesar reportedly said the line when he was about to march on Rome and the Senate with his army, which at the moment was extremely loyal to him. Also, any spelling errors within Amanda's letter were intentional.


	30. Assassination

Chapter Thirty

Assassination

_Brrring! Brrring!_

John Keller, Secretary of Defense, groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, hoping to block out the offending noise. His wife growled in annoyance and he heard her fumbling for the box of cotton balls in a vain attempt to block the sound from her ears. Suddenly the noise stopped, and Keller breathed a sigh of relief. However, the phone began ringing again and his wife swore again.

"I thought you said today was your day off," his wife accused him as he pulled the plaid covers back and stumbled out of bed to get the phone. "Besides, I was hoping to spend the day with you in the park," she muttered in a sulky tone.

"Relax Resa, today is supposed to be my day off. Let me take the call and then we can go the park for the entire day if you want," Keller said, climbing out of bed and walking across the bedroom to get to the phone. Resa had wanted the phone to be as far from the bed as possible, mainly to deter her husband from doing work when he was supposed to be with her. She sometimes hated how his job kept him from her for days at a time. However, the perks of being a wife of an administrator and living in the nation's capital city kept the complaints to a minimum.

Resa finally came out from underneath the covers to watch her husband answer the cursed phone. She carefully watched his expressions as he answered the phone, using his full name in case it was another administrator or someone equally important.

"Hello? John Keller here… Doctor who?" he asked, frowning, and then nodded. "I see. What's wrong? I always figured it would be Sergeant Wilson making this sort of call…oh." Now he looked confused, and Resa guessed that the connection was either bad or he was receiving unbelievable news. "Wait… who did you say you found? Who else? Oh shoot, I'll try to come there as fast as possible. Try not to touch anything or anyone until I get there… oh, well, then try to preserve the scenes as best as you can… okay okay I understand! Use the security personnel then to handle things until I get there. All right, good bye." He sighed as he hung the phone up.

"About that day off…" his wife began.

"I know and I'm sorry, but this is important," Keller said, glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand. It read 5:34 a.m. "I'll try to make it up to you somehow."

"I'll hold you to that. So, what's the emergency today?" Resa asked sarcastically. "Or is it classified?"

Keller gave his wife a withering look as he grabbed his towel from the railing where it was hung to dry after every shower. He tripped on the carpet on the way to the bathroom, intent on getting a shower before starting anything today.

Resa grumbled to herself as she pulled the covers back up to keep herself warm and maybe somehow convince that this was all a nightmare and when she woke up, John would be here beside her and there would be no damn emergency to pull him away. She listened to her husband in the shower, wincing when she heard a few crashes. Whatever it was, it must be pretty serious if her husband was going to risk his life in the shower by moving too quickly for slippery surfaces. Finally, unable to go back to sleep, she crawled out of bed, and put on a robe over her nightgown. She went to her husband's dresser and pulled out his work outfit, and neatly lined up the many electronic devices he generally used on his jobs on the wrinkled bedspread. He could pick out what he needed.

"I'm going to need an airline ticket to Las Vegas," Keller said, trying to dry his hair and look for his watch at the same time. He calmed down when he saw it lined up with his other electronics on the bedspread. Resa suddenly wondered what would happen if she caught a video of Keller tripping around, and what the reaction of the American public would be if they saw their Secretary of Defense stumbling around at five in the morning.

"If it's that impetuous Air Force woman acting up again, why don't you take a private jet? The Air Force should be providing you with those kinds of services if you're going to keep jumping to their defense," Resa reminded him.

"Oh, I don't think that the 'Air Force woman' will be acting up anytime soon," Keller informed her coolly. Resa raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Keller pulled his clothes on, weighing the information in her mind. "Anyway, that is a good idea… I'll get to Mission City faster. I'll call the commander at Bolling Air Force base in a few minutes and see if he can scrounge anything up," he said, reaching for his cell phone. Resa finally rolled her eyes in annoyance and left to cook her husband a proper breakfast.

Keller meanwhile opened the nightstand drawer after he'd dressed and pulled out a scrap piece of paper. Holding it in one hand, he dialed the phone number that was written on it. Then he put the paper back in the drawer as he listened to the phone on the other end began ringing.

"Hello?" he said the second the phone stopped ringing. "Miss Connelly? This is John Keller, we spoke a while ago when you were visiting the capital… yes, sorry about that. I forgot about the time zones." He paused to listen for a few minutes, and then said, "I have a favor to ask of you and Ratchet. There is a bit of a problem in your neck of the woods… okay it's a big problem, but the bottom line is that I need the two of you there. I will meet up with you in Mission City," he said, but was interrupted by a shout from the kitchen.

"JOHN! YOUR BREAKFAST!"

Keller winced, and said, "No, that was my wife. We can rendezvous at the hospital if that's easier for you. This is going to be a medical run… yes, today was supposed to be my day off too. Good bye, and thank you."

He folded the cell phone shut and slipped into his pocket. He then walked to the kitchen, knowing that breakfast may only be the proper meal he would get all day. Today was shaping up to be a long and difficult day.

----------------

"Get up."

Alexis blearily opened her eyes to find Jackson standing by the door, looking grim. He was still wearing his pajamas, so Alexis didn't bother with changing either. She reluctantly crawled out of bed in search of her sweatshirt.

Ari on the other hand had other ideas. "For God's sake, can't you _boys_ ever figure out that this is the _girls' _room?" she growled from the bunk above. "It is five in the flipping morning. Is this an emergency that will threaten the stability of the entire nation or your peace of mind?"

"More like the stability of Area 51," Jackson answered. "Riley got up to use the restroom about thirty minutes ago, and he said that there were a ton of security guys swarming a few of the corridors. Something big happened last night."

"Like what?" Alexis asked, pulling the sweatshirt on over her head.

"I don't know. If I knew, I would tell you," Jackson replied in a testy manner. "Now why are you so worked up?"

"Did Stryker show up yet?" Alexis asked, and mentally kicked herself for asking. It was just that she had searched for him for the rest of the day yesterday, and so she was forced to conclude that he did indeed get his permission to leave Area 51 for Fort Devon. She also had failed to find anyone who had some kind of idea of when he was planning on coming back… although she guessed that would happen when the truck left.

Jackson groaned loudly while Ari snickered from above Alexis. "I swear I'm going to tie Davis to you somehow so you can stop having separation anxiety attacks every time he decides to disappear," Jackson said, hitting his forehead with both palms.

"That'll be okay with Davis, guys love it when ladies fret about their safety," Ari said, grinning.

"Guys, knock it off," Marcia snapped. "Come on Jackson. Where exactly are the security officers?"

Jackson promptly left the room, and Alexis and Marcia followed him. Ari scampered after the trio a few minutes later, shoving her arms into the appropriate sleeves of her light sweater. The quartet moved quickly and silently through the halls, the group growing bigger every time another personnel member spotted them and joined the pack out of sheer curiosity. Alexis kept checking, but Starscream never appeared.

They were among the first onlookers to show up, which meant prime spots at the yellow 'Caution' tape that blocked off an intersection where six wide corridors met. There were security officers at the entrance of each corridor, making sure that no one tried to sneak underneath. Alexis saw that a small mobile medical unit had been set up there, and Sasquatch had four people in stretchers and Tom sitting in a chair, a fat ice pack taped to his head. He seemed pale-faced, and his breathing was shallow, but his eyes were glued to the stretchers on the ground before him. Alexis froze when she recognized Army Colonel Marcus Kowalski in the nearest stretcher, speaking quietly to Sasquatch as the doctor carefully wrapping bandages around Kowalski's head. Next to Kowalski was the resident politician, Monica Wethersfield. Her eyes were closed, and she had bruises and cuts on her arms and face. But it really was the last two stretchers that scared Alexis; a white sheet had been placed over the stretcher's occupant, only betraying the faint profiles of both victims.

"Move aside!"

Alexis was among the personnel who flattened themselves against the wall and peered towards the approaching men. She was expecting to see Stanton come storming forward, demanding what the hell was going on and what was disrupting the flow of work at the base. But instead it was John Keller, accompanied by two administrators, one civilian, and a small pack of paramedics. The security officer nearby undid the tape and allowed all fourteen of them into the room, and then re-secured the tape.

"All right, those two need to be taken to the hospital pronto," Sasquatch ordered, directing four paramedics to Kowalski and Wethersfield. "Head injuries and cracked ribs for the colonel, multiple gunshot wounds and facial injuries for the woman. The colonel has a better chance for survival… he's conscious at least. I don't know how long either one of them are going to last, so hop to it."

The personnel cleared a way for the two stretchers to pass through. Alexis then moved aside a bit to allow Ari some room to squeeze herself in. The two of them watched as Keller walked over to the closest covered stretcher and kneel by it. "What exactly happened?" he asked, looking up at Sasquatch as the remaining paramedics surrounded both of the covered stretchers.

The doctor looked nervously at his huge yet silent audience and then finally answered, "There were five assassination attempts last night." The second he said those words, whispers broke out amongst the personnel. "However," the doctor continued, and the talkers immediately quieted, "there were three survivors, but two fatalities. As most of you probably just saw, Colonel Kowalski, Sergeant Wilson, and Ms. Wethersfield were the survivors. The victims were…" the doctor hesitated, almost as though even he could not believe what he was about to say. "The victims were Navy Commander Cornelius Randall and Brigadier General Antonia Stanton. Randall was shot once, the general twice."

Silence followed the doctor's announcement. Ari uttered a soft gasp and unconsciously grasped Alexis's hand. Alexis felt as though there was a cold pressure on her heart, and she drew up a blank in her mind. Faint whispers slowly began to fly through the halls. Sasquatch stood there without failing to keep Keller's shocked expression. The doctor's own face had become blank, and Alexis knew, as much as she, or anyone for that matter, tried to deny it, Sasquatch wasn't lying.

"Lie."

The growl that broke the silence came from Tom. He staggered to his feet, using a crutch for support. His haggard appearance and bloodshot eyes betrayed the amount of pain he was in. Alexis realized that at some point or another, a bullet had entered Tom's leg where the mechanized leg met the tissue.

"Did somebody completely disarm him?" Sasquatch quickly muttered to another medic who was standing nearby.

"Yes sir, but he could still use the crutch as a weapon. The sergeant has a talent for making any harmless object dangerous," the medic muttered back.

Keller stood up and backed away as Tom walked over. Tom looked down at the covered body, and then whirled to the nearest paramedic. "You… Red," he snapped.

"I have a name you know," the paramedic answered coolly. She was dressed in a yellow uniform with the monogram MCMH stitched in red on the breast pocket. The hospital insignia was imprinted above the monogram, and her hair was tied up into a ponytail so she could focus on the task at hand. Her partner was quietly chatting with the civilian who had entered with Keller, but both men paused when the paramedic had spoken.

"Yeah whatever. Please, move the sheet back." Tom instructed. The paramedic stepped forward after a few seconds of hesitation and knelt down on the opposite side of the stretcher from Tom and carefully pulled the sheet back to halfway down the body, just as Tom was indicating.

By doing that, the paramedic revealed Stanton's waxen face. In Alexis's opinion, Stanton's expression looked peaceful and relaxed for the first time in two to three years. The general's hands were folded on top of her stomach, making her seem as composed and regal as she had been in life. Alexis shivered at the sight of two dull red patches on the general's military uniform, one on her right shoulder and one in the center of her chest.

It seemed as the room went quiet as Tom examined the body of his old friend and comrade. His expression was unreadable as he studied the red patches on Stanton's uniform. His breathing was slowing down, as though the full impact of the situation was finally catching up to him.

"Excuse me… coming through."

At the corridor opposite from Alexis, a few civilian police officers entered and immediately approached Keller. "We interrogated the security at the entrance gate. They said that no one new entered the base under false ID," one of the officers said, stopping in front of Keller. "Captain Henry Crowley, head of base security, says it was an inside job, and they think they know who it is. Captain?"

Alexis gulped. She had had only one encounter with Crowley in the past, and it had been far from pleasant. Last year, when her old flight partner Stan had been alive, something had snapped and she lost her temper with him. The two of them argued, the volume of their voices escalating until they were yelling. She ended up jumping at him, aiming for his throat. Of course Crowley entered the hangar in time to see her jump for Stan's throat. The captain had hauled her away by her collar, and she ended up spending three days in the security wing of the base, locked up, but never mistreated. Stanton never found out about that because Alexis was still working to maintain the appearance of an amiable relationship with Stan for the general's peace of mind. Still, Alexis remained afraid of Crowley, who rarely ever left the security wing anyway. Everyone knew that Crowley could be the essence of nightmares if he so chose to.

The captain walked in, apparently unashamed that he allowed such a disaster to happen on his watch. "You rang Mr. Keller?" he asked, allowing his characteristic Texan drawl to slip into his speech.

"What did you find?" Keller asked.

Crowley gestured to Sasquatch. "Whatever the good man said. Stanton was on the floor behind her desk, and we suspect that she tried to fight back by shooting because we found a bullet on the ground by the office door, which was scratched up. Randall was in his quarters, and there was no sign of a struggle. Wethersfield was on her car trunk, and we guessed that she'd just been shutting the trunk in preparation for departure when she was attacked from behind. Kowalski was found on the ground of the conference room, and we guessed he tried to fight back because we found his gun nearby," Crowley said, leaning his weight onto one foot. "The sergeant was the only one we found conscious. He was rambling on about stopping someone and walking into doorframes. Judging from the head injury, he had been struck behind but not hard enough to lose consciousness. If we hadn't been conducting a murder investigation, I would have found Tom's antics hilarious."

"You said you found bullets. Were you able to identify the weapon that fired them?" Keller asked patiently.

"We compared the bullets on the floor to the bullets from the autopsies. All of them came from the standard rifle, which is interesting because there is only one person here who wields that weapon on a daily basis," Crowley said, flicking a glance at Tom.

"You think it was Sergeant Wilson?" Keller asked.

Crowley sighed, and said, "I don't think. I know. We uh, compared some old transcripts we had of Simmons and one of his Sector Seven agents, and they were talking of stopping the problem at the source. Sergeant Wilson was the closest match we could make to the tapes. Plus, he did say yesterday evening that the general was unfit for duty and should step down for more stable commanding officer. As for Randall, well, Wilson made it clear from day one that he would never accept Randall in the chain of command. Everything will be all set once we've mustered up a few more pieces of evidence."

Both men turned to look at Tom, who was starting to glare suspiciously at the paramedic, who was pulling the sheet back up to cover the general.

"Not Tom," Ari whispered furiously once she found her voice again. "He and Stanton were best pals."

"That's not good enough for Crowley and Keller. They would want concrete evidence to support your claim. The last few weeks would not count as good evidence," Alexis whispered back. "Besides, Tom will defend himself. He's good at that sort of thing."

"The technicians also found an email from Ross Lynch, head of Sector Seven special operations, detailing who would be targeted and how. Lynch also said to plant evidence to frame communications officer Levett for the deaths." Crowley continued. "The topple of the command structure was to be vengeance for the humiliation Simmons suffered after Sector Seven was exposed and publicly disbanded." He glanced at Keller and said, "Wilson even said himself that he and Lynch have been old buddies since they were cadets."

"Toni had nothing to with the exposure of Sector Seven," Keller said, frowning. "Besides, Ross Lynch hightailed it out of the country to Canada a week after Mission City."

"Well, if he didn't do it, then a technological mastermind would have had several hundred security videos to tweak, several phone calls to fabricate, and one email to send. Our networks are extremely secure," Crowley snapped. "It would take years for a normal code-breaker to crack, possibly seconds for… oh, I don't know, advanced alien technology. But as we all know, there is no intelligent alien life inside the solar system, so that is not a possibility. So, nothing within the networks is tampered, meaning that Wilson is still prime suspect, period." Crowley then turned and ordered, "If you are not an Area 51 security officer, you are all ordered to leave immediately, except for you six." He gestured to six random officers, and the others began to leave. Alexis and the other personnel had to move to the side again to allow them through.

_Slap!_

Alexis jerked at the sharp sound of flesh making contact with flesh. She turned to see that Ari's hand was raised, and a Nevada police officer looked stunned. Ari was comfortably oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at her.

"Listen, and listen good," Ari hissed to the officer. "I don't give a damn about what you do on the streets, but this is _my_ turf. So, never come back and stay away from me, or I will do a lot more than just slap you. F-22s have more uses than just warfare after all."

The threat seemed to get through to the officer, and he half walked, half scuttled away. Quiet conversations resumed as Ari rejoined Alexis. "Psycho cop?" Alexis muttered.

"Don't worry, I think I put him in his place," Ari muttered back. "I'll do a strafing run and blast his precious car if he messes with me again."

Meanwhile, things were going rapidly downhill for Tom. He hadn't moved from his position by Stanton's stretcher even though the paramedic had covered her a while ago. He didn't even attempt to offer a defense for himself when Crowley named him as prime suspect. It appeared to Alexis as though Tom had left the room already and left this solemn stranger in his place.

"What will happen to the sergeant?" Sasquatch finally asked.

Keller sighed and looked at Tom. "He will be given an armed escort back to Washington DC, where he will wait until his fate is decided. In the meantime, he will be stripped of his rank and military duties, and will possibly be given the same treatment as any killer, army or otherwise," he said. "Then I am going to call Randall's wife and inform her of her husband's death. Then I will call Naira Rodriguez and tell her what happened to her daughter." Keller said. "In the meantime, Randall and Stanton will be taken to the local hospital so the doctors there can further analyze the cause of death."

"Are you insinuating something about my medical skills?" Sasquatch asked suspiciously.

"No sir. I just want a second opinion." Keller assured the ruffled doctor.

"How about you let us, as in Crowley and I, call Naira instead? We know her very well, and how much she treasured Toni. In fact, Toni was her only child, and she wouldn't want to hear the news from a detached point of view, so to speak," Sasquatch offered. "We can even take care of transportation and everything. Toni always told me that she wanted to be buried near her family home. If she couldn't be close to there in life, she wanted to be so in death."

"Thank you but no thank you," Keller answered.

"I insist," Sasquatch said.

"No thank you."

"I _insist_," Sasquatch repeated stubbornly.

"I said 'no thank you'. I do not want the security of Area 51 to be compromised further," Keller snapped, effectively ending the argument right there. "Now, Robinson here will take charge of the base until Mr. Thayer arrives to assume General Stanton's post. Who is the commanding officer of the Four-oh-first squadron?"

"Only Toni knew," Tom said suddenly, his voice breaking the silence. "Only Toni knew," he whispered again.

"Handcuff him and get him out to one of the cruisers," Crowley ordered, and two men cautiously approached Tom at an angle on either side of him. Alexis watched with growing frustration as Tom allowed the men to handcuff his hands behind his back and take away his crutch and only support. Despite that though, Tom was still standing somewhat straight on his own.

Sasquatch in the meantime had been pacing near the two stretchers. Finally he said, "Ma'am, what's your name?"

The paramedic he'd addressed looked up from her conversation with her partner. "Rose Connelly sir," she answered, making eye contact with the doctor.

"Will you please come here?" Sasquatch asked, gesturing for her to come to where he was standing.

"Hey Alexis. It's Tyler's doctor, that girl I told you about from the Hoover Dam. The same one that Sector Seven is keeping an eye on," Ari whispered quickly in Alexis's ear. Ari frowned, and then asked, "What do you think Sasquatch is saying to her?"

Alexis looked at the pair. Sasquatch was quickly yet quietly explaining something to Rose, using his hands to emphasize whatever points he was making. Rose seemed to be well aware of the fact that every little facial expression she made would be closely analyzed, so she kept her face devoid of any emotions as she listened to what Sasquatch was saying. As Keller began to give Tom's captors instructions, Alexis watched as Sasquatch handed Rose a small white packet while verbally delivering what appeared to be instructions. Rose was nodding in acknowledgement as she slipped the white packet into a hidden pocket on her uniform. Then Rose calmly returned to her partner, who had been waiting patiently for her return.

"Come on… we're taking the general back to the hospital," she said, and the pair of them lifted the stretcher. This time, there were no complaints as the personnel separated yet again to allow them through. Both Ari and Alexis reflexively saluted in respect, and others copied their position as the stretcher was carried down the corridor. The last two paramedics came by, carrying Randall's stretcher as well, and then Alexis relaxed when the stretchers were out of sight.

"Damn it all to hell!" Tom suddenly swore, startling everybody near him, including his captors. "I was such a… freaking… blind… _idiot!_" he continued, slowly returning to his normal self. "She was right in front of me the entire damn time and I _just_ figured it out!"

"Who?" Keller demanded, determined to use this opportunity of Tom finally talking again to its full potential.

Tom merely smirked in Keller's direction. "I wish to observe my constitutional right to remain silent," he replied, still grinning.

Keller hoped that persuasion would be enough to make the stubborn sergeant talk when the interrogators entered the equation. He turned and asked, "Where are the two analysts I sent here?"

"We'll escort them out," Crowley replied, and took three other officers with him to go hunt down the analysts. Keller knew he would only feel better when he was sure that the analysts were far from any potential threats here.

He turned to Sasquatch and asked, "Were there any connections between Toni, Randall, and the two survivors?"

"I don't know," Sasquatch said, wringing his hands again.

"I do," Tom said in a mocking tone. He smirked in Keller's direction, signaling that he wasn't going to speak anymore.

"Take him away," Keller ordered, and the officers complied. Tom still carried the self-confident smirk on his face as he was unceremoniously hauled away. Keller meanwhile walked to a nearby alcove and dialed Thayer's number. He let out a frustrated sigh when he got the answering machine. "Joseph, it's John. One of your generals was assassinated this morning, and the entire command chain has been knocked out. If it's possible, will you please assume command of Area 51 until further notice? Before you ask, yes, it was Toni overreaching herself again; only this is the last time. I can't tell you much right now, but please come here as soon as you're available." With that, Keller hung up, feeling defeated.

"Mr. Keller?" Sasquatch asked, gliding closer to him. "Will you please keep the deaths a secret from the media for now? We don't want a mass panic after all."

Unfortunately the doctor made sense. "Very well," Keller conceded. He looked at the amassed personnel. Now he didn't know what was going to happen.

------------------

"Talk about a load of crap," Ari grumbled, burying her face into her pillow.

Alexis looked up at her. The two of them were hiding out in their room for now. The other pilots and personnel were scattered throughout the base, all trying their best to avoid the security officers were prowling the corridors. "What makes you say that?" Alexis asked, leaning her head off to the side of her bed so that she could see Ari above her.

"I personally thought that someone may have set Tom up to it, but I can't name any suspects or draw up any motives. Besides, I don't see why Tom would do something like that. He and General Stanton have been close friends for sixteen years. Why ruin something special like that?" Ari said, voice muffled by the pillow.

"Stanton made a lot enemies over the last two years. It probably wasn't Sector Seven but some other independent party," Alexis said, relaxing her head back onto her pillow and scanning the cover of the book she was holding.

"Yeah but this was a professional and inside job. It's as though whoever did it knew that they were removing the protection net we had, and were preparing to swoop in as soon as we lowered our guard again," Ari mumbled almost unintelligibly.

Protection.

Alexis felt a new sort of horror creep up as she remembered Starscream's words from their 'first' meeting.

_Yes, you may want to kill me, but we both know that I am the only one between us who will actually carry out that threat once you are vulnerable, and that is when your precious general is incapable of doing anything to protect you._

Stanton was gone, leaving Alexis out in the open for target practice. She suspected that Starscream had committed foul play, and conveniently escaped so he could honestly say he wasn't around when Stanton died.

Time to pull out the heavy artillery.

"I'll be right back," she said, clambering out of bed and pulling her boots on.

"Where are you going?" Ari asked, looking up.

"Ummm… to the truck to make sure you got my bag out. It was kind of wedged underneath the seat, so you might not have seen it. I won't be long," Alexis said, and then slipped out into the hall.

The corridor was quiet, devoid of all security for once. Alexis headed towards the parking garage, only pausing to peer around corners just to make sure they were empty. Finally, she pushed the door to the garage open and entered.

The black truck was sitting innocently in the same parking space that Alexis had left it in. She carefully inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door, careful not to scrape at any part of the vehicle. She leaned forward and found her bag, neatly wedged underneath the seat. She had put it there on purpose for a reason.

Alexis wanted to talk to the truck… well, not the vehicle itself, but to the robot and assure herself that this robot had no intentions of killing her anytime soon. So she left her bag there so she could have an excuse to go to the vehicle.

She carefully shut the driver's door, and then stood there for a few moments. "Um… excuse me?" she tried, feeling completely ridiculous.

The truck did and said nothing.

Now she felt like an idiot. She couldn't believe she'd allowed Starscream to dupe her like that. He would regret doing that; Alexis turned on her heel and began walking determinedly towards the base. Surely Mr. Keller would offer her amnesty protection for the information she would give him about Starscream… assuming he believed her to begin with.

Alexis opened the door and managed to stop herself in time; the civilian who had been with Keller was standing right there. "Excuse me," she murmured and stood aside to let him past.

The man did not move. "You have my attention now. What is it?" he asked. He let out an irritated sigh when Alexis gave him a skeptical look. "I thought you would get an idea, since that Decepticon _rat_ gave me away to you on your trip to the Hoover Dam."

Oh right. The truck.

Alexis surmised that the truck evidently had similar technology as Starscream. "Hi… um, well, this is kind of awkward," she said, ending her sentence in a half-whisper.

"I can't wait very long… I have to be somewhere in a couple of hours," the man warned. "I know it was you who asked for me."

"Okay, okay. I'm guessing you know who… Starscream is?" she asked cautiously.

"Unfortunately," the man replied.

"Well… he's been here for a while, and I think he had a hand in the general's death. He's been itching to 'take care' of me and do his world domination thing for a while now, but didn't because Stanton was always there keeping an eye on things," Alexis said, her words coming out in a rush.

"I know," the man said, and raised a hand to keep her from asking questions. "You should feel very fortunate to still be living at the moment. Here's a small piece of advice; carry on as though nothing happened, and if possible, lure him away from this place. I cannot take him out on my own here because of the proximity to other humans, but if he were to be left in a place where we have no fear of encountering others of your kind, my comrades and I will take him out then."

"You mean kill don't you?" Alexis asked warily.

The man folded his arms. "How else can we permanently neutralize him?" he asked, and Alexis could see the common sense in that. "Now listen. Captain Lennox will be assigned to ensure the safety of your Air Force Chief of Staff. I will tell him that you know, and you are to report any variations in Starscream's behavior."

"How and why do you expect me to go along with this?" Alexis asked.

"You do want some kind of protection from Starscream as soon as he reaches the end of his patience with you do you not?" the man asked, crossing his arms to emphasize his point. "Besides, do you not trust the judgment of your friend Lennox?"

"I did, but then he let Tom borrow uh, you I guess, but didn't think to warn _us_," Alexis answered coolly.

"Not Lennox's fault. He wasn't aware of what you knew already."

Alexis released a breath between her teeth. "_Fine_," she muttered through gritted teeth. "I'll report to Captain Lennox."

"Good. Oh, and the next time you see your hyperactive Aliskevicz friend, tell her not to slam on the brakes. As much as I enjoy ramming Barricade, I do not appreciate the brakes being slammed."

"Yep," Alexis said, and then started to go in. "Wait," she quickly said, turning around. The man paused to listen to her. "Do you know who attacked Stanton and the other four?" she asked.

"No. Your base's electronics interfere with my sensors. It is all rather disorienting. However, the politician female, she was attacked from behind by a real human male, not Starscream," the man said, and then he disappeared from sight altogether.

Alexis leaned back on the doorframe and watched as the truck drove away towards the exit of the parking garage. Then she turned back into the base and went back to her quarters, needing to talk to someone human. Ari was no longer in their room, but Alexis had an idea where her friend was.

The main hangars.

---------------

_Brrring! Brrring!_

Simmons was quiet as he answered his cell phone. Nearby, Lynch was gulping down on a sub, breathing the food rather than eating it. Lynch and Simmons were in New York, at Simmons's mother's deli shop. Simmons hoped that this was the news he had been waiting for.

"Hello?" he asked, moving into a discreet corner of the restaurant. Wouldn't be good at all if his mother caught him doing 'business' when he had told her that he was no longer doing Sector Seven business.

Lynch looked up at his boss and watched as Simmons's expression went from happy to angry to resignation. Things must be bad if his boss was defeated about something.

Simmons hung up and joined Lynch at their little table. "Well?" Lynch asked impatiently.

"That was Agent 25. He said Antonia Stanton is dead for sure. Saw the body himself. The main threats to our security are gone, but apparently there are four problems floating around. Two that escaped being injured in any way shape or form, and two that are in a hospital unable to speak to anyone," Simmons said grimly. "The bad news is that somehow before her death Stanton complicated things a little for us."

"How?" Lynch asked.

Simmons offered a grim smile and asked, "That's the magic question now isn't it? Not even the agent knows how she did it. He was sure that Stanton succeeded in complicating the mission before she died. The Area 51 security captain is being stubborn and won't let any unauthorized personnel view the tapes of the general's office, including Keller. Also, the deaths are going to be kept private until Wilson is brought on trial."

"Who wanted that?" Lynch asked curiously.

"The general's little doctor. Makes me wonder if the general had a hidden card up her sleeve when she died," Simmons answered, frowning at the possibility.

Lynch let out a frustrated sigh. "Reggie, Antonia Stanton, your nemesis since 1981, is _dead._ Let it go, and celebrate," he snapped. He took a swig of the smuggled beer and asked, "What kicked off this rivalry with her in the first place?"

Simmons gave him a withering expression. "I'd rather not talk of unpleasant issues when we should be celebrating," he said, raising his glass. "To victory."

"To victory, an essence always sweeter than defeat," Lynch said, raising his glass as well. The two clinked glasses, and then drank.

------------------

A/N: Early update I know. It was ready to go, and I figured that this chapter could tide you all over to Friday (the day of the next update). Here's something to clear the passage of time up a bit: Keller received the call around 5:30 in the morning, but due to the difference of time zones it was around three in the morning in Nevada. Then it took Keller two hours to get to the base, so it was past five in the morning in Nevada when he arrived. Hope that clears things up a bit.


	31. Arrangements

Chapter Thirty-One

Arrangements

"So everyone is to report to the main hangar after lunch for a brief ceremony to remember Randall and Stanton," Ari said, tightening the bolt. "Crowley said so."

"So he's running the show until Mr. Thayer arrives?" Alexis asked. "Why couldn't Mr. Keller stay in charge?"

"Because Crowley got all pushy and got his way only because he's familiar with the base. He's still ticked off that Keller thinks his security systems are compromised and is still determined to do things his way," Ari said, glancing up at Alexis.

"His security is compromised," Alexis said, looking back at her friend. "Two people were just killed and two were taken to the hospital." Ari just shrugged in a non-committal way and went back to adjusting some imaginary loose bolt. It had only been several hours since the general's body had been taken from the base, and the pilots and other non-essential personnel had taken to hiding to avoid the security officials patrolling the hallways. Ari had gotten claustrophobic in their room, and had escaped to the hangar for refuge. Alexis found Ari tinkering on her F-22, and joined her friend in what appeared to be a therapeutic exercise of tinkering.

"Another thing I don't get is why Tom would sabotage your jet. You're practically his favorite," Ari said, suddenly scrabbling for a grip on the metal surface as she began to slide backwards off the jet's nose. "A little help here would be appreciated."

"Maybe the saboteur wasn't aiming for me but Davis. He has been irritating people since he got here," Alexis suggested as she carefully balanced herself on the wing before she walked forward towards Ari, careful of herself. She kneeled down and took Ari's hand, and then pulled her friend back onto the aircraft.

"How could a mix-up like that happen? Stryker's jet is a piece of junk while you had something that was just manufactured," Ari said, looking at Alexis. The pair of them walked carefully to the wing where Ari sat down to take a badly needed snack break. She offered a granola bar to Alexis, which she declined.

Alexis contemplated the conversation she'd had with the 'truck'. She remembered the man calling Starscream a 'Decepticon rat', and guessed that it couldn't be good. She had just forgotten to ask for a clarification on that, and suspected that Starscream would know and not tell her. "Hey Ari, do you know what 'Decepticons' are?" she asked, knowing that her friend would make no sense to anyone if Ari repeated that.

Ari choked, and Alexis thumped her back to knock out the offending piece of food. "Where the hell didja hear _that_?" Ari asked around the mouthful of granola. She swallowed, looked at Alexis, and said, "That sounds like something you got from a comic book."

"Heard it in passing," Alexis answered, keeping the answer vague in case Starscream asked about later.

"Well, I don't know about the exact meaning, but it's probably something bad because of the 'decept' part of the word. Sounds like 'deception' from the Latin word 'decipere', or to deceive," Ari answered thoughtfully. "Either way it sounds like bad news and should be avoided… maybe Stryker knows. I'll ask him if he ever decides to show up again."

"I wouldn't ask him, he probably doesn't know either," Alexis answered, glancing around the hangar. She counted seven jets and realized that he must've sneaked back in at some point… there had been plenty of opportunities to do so in the midst of the confusion from the discovery of the general's body.

"Let's ask anyway. Hey Stryker!" Ari yelled, and Alexis's gut wrenched when she saw Starscream's hologram walking into the hangar, giving the appearance of wearing comfortable fatigues. He walked closer to them so that Ari wouldn't have to scream her question across the large room.

"Yes?" he asked conversationally as he 'climbed' onto the F-22 in order to join the two women.

Ari gestured that he sit down with them, and he settled in between the pair. "We were just discussing the etymology of an interesting word that Alexis picked up in passing," she said. "The word is 'Decepticon', and all we derived from it was deception, or trickery if you don't know what 'deception' means. We were just curious as to what your input would be."

Starscream glanced at Alexis and then back at Ari. To his credit, he did not react, and Alexis wondered if she'd guessed incorrectly and he really did not know what it was. "What else is there to add?" he finally asked, facing Ari again.

Ari shrugged.

"Hey guys."

The three of them turned to see Riley in the hangar door. "The captain said that we should do the ceremony now… he said it was going to be iffy weather later this afternoon."

"That doesn't make sense," Ari whined as both Alexis and Starscream slipped off the side of the wing. "There is no such thing as weather out here in the desert. It is either hot or extremely hot. Nothing else."

"Something about a cold front coming in. C'mon." Riley said, and then left, Alexis and Starscream right behind him.

Meanwhile, outside on the lone highway that ran past the base, a lone vehicle headed towards the entrance, the driver completely ignoring the speed limit. Speed limits had become a thing of the past for Chief of Staff Joseph Thayer ever since he received the fateful phone call. _Okay, maybe ignoring them aren't a thing of the past yet,_ Thayer mentally amended as he remembered the recent additions to his driving record from Boston. Those tickets were going to come back to haunt him for sure.

He showed the security guards his military ID card, his driver's license, and proof of American citizenship. He nearly asked them a smart question, whether they wanted to see his social security number as well, but then decided against it in the end. If Keller were to be believed, then the guards would already be hyped up from nerves, paranoia, and fear of their boss, Captain Henry Crowley.

_Speaking of Crowley, I need to speak with him at some point…_ Thayer mused as he headed towards the parking garage.

Inside the base, Alexis and Starscream couldn't really talk to each other, not with Ari appearing between them en route to the roof. They headed up onto the roof of the base, where there was already a large group waiting. Alexis gestured to Starscream to hold back the questions; there was always time afterwards. She looked up and saw that Mr. Keller was standing by the flagpole, looking somewhat impatient.

"Excuse me, pardon me, oops coming through gentlemen."

The crowd parted to allow Thayer room so he could join Keller. Once he was by his superior, Thayer fluffed out his jacket a bit and then surveyed the assembled personnel.

Alexis could tell that Joseph Thayer was a man who had seen better days. He was born in 1952, and grew up what was arguably the one of most remote parts of the United States: the heart of Wyoming. Rumor had it that his fascination with flight began when he stayed up one night to watch an air show that was in progression near his home. He signed up for the military only to be caught in the anti-war protests of the era.

Here he stood five decades later, in one of the highest positions within the American Air Force. It was no secret that he had been one of Stanton's most staunch supporters from even before Oroville.

Thayer brushed aside some of his short light-brown hair as he gazed out at the pilots and other personnel. "I'm not going to say much," he finally said. "Toni always hated long speeches, especially if it was Simmons giving them. She always said that Simmons was wasting his breath because she wasn't listening to him to begin with." Thayer sighed, and then continued, "All I'm going to say really, is that Toni was a loyal and fierce friend, and she would have hoped that she served you all well. She tried to keep your best interests at heart, and would… be repentant if she failed in that particular aspect. Randall was an officer who was determined, and would stick to the goal until it was completed. He knew there was no time for rest, especially in the light of the recent events." Thayer paused, and then admitted, "I can't honestly say much about Randall. He was a member of the Navy, and so I did not have the fortune of knowing Randall very well."

There were murmurs in the crowd as Thayer stepped back and Keller stepped forward. Alexis raised an eyebrow when she spotted Lennox standing in the background with the man who had the vengeful streak against Starscream. She glanced at Starscream, who looked as though he had just consumed a particularly sour lemon. He was eyeing Lennox and Lennox's friend.

"Nothing is really going to change around here. Mr. Thayer has assumed the general's post until we can sort out the mess and figure out who is next in line for assuming the post of commanding officer. Thayer will also be reviewing records to determine who will become captain of the Four-oh-first," Keller continued.

"With all due respect John, the general had already selected the pair that will be receiving orders. Captain Crowley informed me that he found the promotion envelope in Tom's desk when they were looking for evidence," Thayer interrupted. "It had already been opened, so the captain assumed that Tom had already opened it and read the information."

"Why wasn't it taken with the other evidence?" Keller asked curiously.

"It was. It was deemed as worthless in the investigation." Thayer replied, fingering his shirt collar for a few moments. Louder he said, "Today, we will honor the stricken and fallen. They accepted the risks of duty and lay their lives down so that we can continue to pursue the goal unhindered. We will be sticking the general's original plan."

There was silence as an officer slowly lowered the American flag to half-mast. It was more out of respect than anything else, for Alexis knew that not a soul of the American public would know about what had transpired here. One of many conspiracy rumors flying around the base was about media control, saying that Sasquatch and Keller had their third row about the amount of information released to the public, and that the aging doctor had once again came out victorious.

Starscream impressed Alexis by remaining quiet and respectful as another soldier played the solemn taps. After a brief moment of silence, the personnel were dismissed, and everyone wandered in separate directions.

Alexis stayed on the roof, Starscream trailing after her. She noticed that Lennox had gone below with Thayer, but the truck's hologram remained topside under the pretense of patrolling the roof edges. Alexis guessed that the hologram would not only turn away potential eavesdroppers, but listening in on their conversation.

"What did you _do_?" she nearly shouted when they were a safe distance from the entrance to base. "If you wanted me dead that bad, you should've just asked your pal Barricade to run me over or something and make _that_ look like a legitimate accident. You didn't have to kill Stanton… you may see her as a threat, but she has five kids at home, kids who still loved her!" Alexis wasn't sure about the last part concerning the children; it was somewhat well known that Stanton's two oldest resented her for the death of their father.

Starscream looked somewhat thoughtful. "The idea with Barricade has merit, but then again, he wouldn't like getting organic fluids all over his tires," he remarked, smirking at her. "However, I can and will assure you that I had no dealings in your commander's death," he said as Alexis turned her back to him to stare across the desert.

Alexis threw her arms up in frustration. "Why should I believe you?" she demanded, turning around.

"Have I ever lied to you that was not within reason? Threatened you yes, lied for good reason, yes. But I have not lied to you for the sole purpose of lying," he answered calmly.

"Fine. Here's a way to prove your intentions. What is a Decepticon?" she asked. She didn't feel the need to tell him that she could always check his answers with the truck, which was evidently still in the parking garage. Alexis then made a mental note to get the name of the truck. It felt awkward to keep referring to him as the 'truck'.

"On my homeworld of Cybertron, there were two warring factions, the Autobots and Decepticons. Both factions had their own ideas on how Cybertron should be ruled. Their war is ancient, stretching for thousands of your years," Starscream answered calmly, walking closer to her. "The Autobots fought with morals, the Decepticons fought with trickery," he half-whispered, leaning slightly so she could hear.

"Whom did you fight for?" she asked.

She sensed rather than saw his smirk. "I didn't agree with the ideologies of either leader, so I stayed neutral in the conflicts. I had my own ideas on how to run things, so I figured I would sit out and wait for a clear winner, and then take him down," he said calmly.

"That's funny. I had you tagged as a Decepticon as soon as you described both factions," Alexis said sarcastically.

"Really? So what would you be if I were a Decepticon? An Autobot consorting with the enemy or a Decepticon working yet plotting with a 'partner'?" he asked, grinning in victory.

"How about an Autobot working undercover to turn the Decepticon in to a higher court of justice?" Alexis replied, answering a question with a question.

Starscream snorted. "Autobots are too noble and righteous to commit such an act," he replied, loud enough for the truck's hologram to hear.

Alexis didn't have a witty comeback for that. She instead turned her back to Starscream and looked out across the desert, musing over the information. No need to tell Starscream that she would only check the information with the 'truck' later that afternoon… although it would be tricky, since Starscream's sensors were just as sensitive as the 'truck's'. Plus she had to find out the truck's real name. It felt awkward to address him as the 'truck', even in the privacy of her mind. She turned her head slightly and asked, "Why did you save me if you wanted me dead?"

"I only said I would kill you if you worked to expose me, which miraculously you haven't yet," he reminded her, and Alexis felt a little twinge of guilt as she thought back to the conversation she'd had with the truck. "I never said I would kill you once you were useless, and while it is still an enticing opportunity, it appears that there is already a murder investigation in progress and I would like to keep a clean record for now."

"So you only saved me just to keep yourself distanced from the sabotaging and killing?" Alexis asked.

Starscream nodded.

Stung, she narrowed her eyes, and then said, "I still think you had a hand in the general's death." With that, she walked past him and headed back into the base.

---------------

"How did you get here so fast?" Keller asked as he and Thayer walked towards Thayer's temporary office.

"I was at Worcester in Massachusetts, and just hopped onto a public airline to get here, and landed in Las Vegas," Thayer explained. He winced, and then said, "If you look close enough on my permanent record, you'll see that I have recently added a speeding ticket or two… or three. The airport was in Boston, but traffic was awful and I was in a rush." He glanced at Keller and asked, "When did you get here?"

"Past five in the morning, western time. Commandeered an Air Force plane to get here," Keller admitted. "It took me two hours to get here."

"I must admit that I am a little nervous, not knowing the motives behind Toni's death. She must've been closing in on something that was so secretive that her opponents didn't want her to know in the first place. Something like… the Autobots perhaps," Thayer said, looking at Keller.

Keller sighed. He had let the Chiefs of Staff in on the big secret, and Thayer was the only one who hadn't flinched away in fear at the sight of Optimus Prime. He also hadn't agreed with Keller initially when Keller said that the military branches should be kept in the dark about this, especially Stanton because of her vengeful nature. "I want to say it was Simmons, but I know for sure he was in New York City for the last couple of days," Keller said.

"One doesn't need to be near the crime scene in order to be responsible for the crime. That's why we all hire agents to do the dirty work: to separate ourselves from the crime as far as possible." Thayer countered. "Some of Toni's lackeys were leftovers so to speak from Oroville, and she would have trusted them. Unfortunately, they only made Sector Seven's target board a little bigger."

"Do you know what kicked off this intense rivalry between Simmons and Stanton?" Keller asked. "That has to be one of the biggest mysteries in the department."

Thayer pressed his lips together, and then finally said, "To speak of what happened, would be to betray Toni's memory. All I will say is this: it was more of a personal crusade against Simmons rather than some petty rivalry. Simmons committed a grave error in the past that brought Toni to the Air Force and to where she ended up in life." Thayer turned to Keller and said, "Simmons set up the stage in which she lived in. He dictated the beginning, and I wouldn't be surprised if he dictated the end. Toni's obsession with evidence came from... well, let's just say there wasn't enough to indict Simmons for a crime she was absolutely sure he had committed."

"If you could reverse time, would you try to stop Toni or at least slow her down so she wouldn't come to this end?" Keller asked as Thayer unlocked the door that led to his temporary office.

Without flinching, Thayer turned to Keller and made eye contact. "No. I would not change anything," Thayer answered. "There is nothing to be gained by what could have happened. We need to be focused on the here and now, for that is where the present problems and threats are."

Keller didn't comment on how neatly Thayer had dodged the original question.

The two men entered, and Thayer frowned at the sight of three white envelopes on his desk. Keller watched as the other man opened each one and read the letters, his frown growing as he read the contents.

"What are they?" Keller finally asked, extremely curious.

"Resignation letters from Special Operations and communications. Tyrone, Levett, and Ryans. Apparently they all knew the same thing that the general knew and panicked, thinking they were next on the hit list," Thayer said slowly. He looked up at Keller and said, "John, they're not just resigning from this operation. They're resigning from the military altogether."

"That tells us that whatever Toni knew, it was dangerous enough to instigate fear as soon as the operation began," Keller observed. "Toni was making the analysts do harmless stuff, just translating Transformer text into English. Madsen said that the actual information didn't make any sense when put together."

"Stanton's 'project' in the beginning was to discover the culprits behind the 'terrorist attacks' at Mission City," Thayer told him, leaning on the desk to face him better. "As you can probably imagine, she tread too close for comfort to the true purpose of Sector Seven. She even told me a few days ago that there was a massive security breach to the Area 51 networks, a huge amount of information siphoned off of the computers. That included _all_ progress updates she used to make in the course of an operation." Thayer hesitated, and then finally asked, "Do you remember the controversy of the 'Missing 30' during the Oroville trials?"

Keller nodded. "The names of the thirty operatives involved in the incident. Only three were given away: Matthew Stanton, who had died in the explosions at Oroville, Rodney Lockeys, who was convicted anyway for illegal forging, and Toni, who assumed full responsibility for the incident."

"That means that whoever siphoned the information has the twenty-seven other names. Since Oroville was a Sector Seven base, it is logical to assume that Sector Seven may have retaliated against Stanton only after their disbanding. That way, she would have assumed that they were no longer a threat, and they would have struck when her guard was down," Thayer said, looking at Keller. "Basically, there is a civil war in progress within the military, and the Autobots are being dragged into the crossfire without even realizing it."

"Damn," Keller breathed, stunned.

"General Stanton and Commander Randall were only the first two. Who is to say that Sector Seven remnants won't move in and kill the other twenty-seven involved? We can't protect them; we don't know who they are," Thayer said. He leaned in and whispered, "Who is to say that some xenophobic isn't going to develop a technological weapon of some kind and bring down the Autobots?"

Keller had no answer for that.

_Knock knock._

"Come in," Thayer called out as Keller turned around to see who was at the door.

Captains Lennox and Crowley came in together. They both saluted, but Lennox stepped back to allow Crowley the floor. "Sir," Crowley said, "I just got a phone call from McKenna."

"McKenna?" Keller repeated.

"He was the officer you delegated to take charge in escorting Sergeant Wilson to an air field to fly him to Washington for his trial. He had a bit of bad news," Crowley reported, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "He said that the armored police van left Area 51 with an armed escort, as per your orders."

"Yes?" Keller asked, growing nervous from the suspense.

"They were on the city outskirts when they were attacked by what appeared to be a professional street gang. The gang overwhelmed the escort first, and then took over the van. Instead of driving off with the vehicle and the prisoner, they stopped the van, took all officers hostage, and released Wilson from the back. Then the sergeant escaped with them, and there were no casualties," Crowley reported, finding the whole thing amusing.

"How?" Keller demanded, feeling his gut twist at the thought of a killer on the loose with a gang of professional killers. "What street gang was this? I thought Mission City was clean."

"Los Angeles was supposedly clean too. Anyway, Underground reported that the 'terrorist attacks' upset the balance of power in the criminal underworld, and several gangs have been jockeying for the position of power and leadership in Mission City," Crowley said casually. "We have not identified the gang yet, but the leader's name was Luigi. All we know about him is that he's an Italian criminal mastermind, and, if given the opportunity, he will attempt to take over Mission City and give Al Capone himself a run for his money."

Keller resisted the urge to smack his head against a wall or table in frustration. Mission City had sent seismic ripples into all forms of American life, from politics to the criminal underworld.

Thayer didn't seem too upset over the new development, or at least he didn't show any unhappiness. "Captain Crowley, thank you. Will you please fetch F-22 pilot Alexis Preston for me? See if you can pry her away from her friend Davis; I just need her for now, Davis for later," he said. Crowley saluted and promptly left.

"Lennox, it is good to see you again," Keller said as Lennox stepped forward.

"You too sir." Lennox hesitated, and then whispered, "You both do realize that 'Stryker Davis' is actually a Decepticon in disguise right?"

Keller looked alarmed, but Thayer merely looked calm. "So I heard," he calmly replied.

Lennox nodded as they all heard the sounds of a faint struggle. "Damn it Crowley read me my rights and don't just toss me in," Alexis's faint voice carried down the hall. "Lemme go!"

"The level of discipline here is amazing," Crowley observed as he hauled Alexis in by her elbow. "Rad White and Stryker Davis were at each other's throats when I found her in the hangar. Give it a couple of minutes or so and maybe it'll occur to Davis that she's gone, so that's how long you got." He turned to Lennox and said, "You, come outside with me and we'll be the first line of defense if Davis does decide to go and hunt Preston down."

"Excuse me Joseph. I will join you later," Keller said, and left the room as well.

Alexis continued rubbing her elbow as the door closed behind her. She timidly sat down when Thayer indicated that she do so. She had never met the Air Force Chief of Staff personally, but had heard about him. She watched as he sat down.

"Well, Miss Preston, it is an honor to meet you at last. General Stanton spoke highly of you to me," Thayer said, smiling in a friendly manner.

"Um, thanks?" Alexis said, finishing the answer as a question. She was confused.

"I will keep this quick and short for you. You have served in the Four-oh-first well, and the general was impressed by your performance since Oroville and Mission City," Thayer continued.

"Okay…" Alexis said, dreading as to where this was going.

"So well, that she felt it appropriate to grant you the leadership of the squadron. She felt that you and your flight partner worked in sync with each other, and would be capable leaders," Thayer finished, pushing the envelope towards her.

She opened it with shaking fingers, and felt her stomach twist uncomfortably at the letter's contents. She shook her head slowly and whispered, "With all due respect sir, I do not feel as though I can handle this… it's really complicated." How could she tell him that she knew her flight partner was a killing machine with world domination first in his mind and her personal safety somewhere farther down on the list of his priorities?

"Davis felt the same way when I spoke with him last night at Fort Devon," Thayer agreed. "However, I think the two of you can make it work out."

"So you actually saw Davis at Fort Devon?" Alexis asked, surprised. She had always figured that Starscream made that up in order to cover up his involvement in Stanton's death.

"Of course. He was there the entire time. Had a good time in Massachusetts with his brothers and couple of old friends," Thayer said conversationally.

"Um, what would I use for a jet? Mine kind of… blew up," Alexis told him.

"So I heard. I have already secured an F-22 from Edwards Air Force base for your use. Now listen Preston. I will repeat this to Davis, but if you _ever_ encounter the terrorists again for aerial combat, you specifically are not to engage them. Davis will assume temporary command and Mackerson will take the role of second-in-command. The reason for is warning is because the jets that Stanton supplied to you had received special armor plating. She had taken the wrecks from Mission City and had the damage analyzed to identify the type of weapon that the enemy used. They never found an exact match, but they developed a metal mixture that should neutralize any low barrages from the enemy, just not attacks from the heavy artillery. The F-22 you will be using will not have this armor plating and you will be just as exposed to the enemy as you were at Mission City, understood?" Thayer told her, leaning back in his chair.

_Well Starscream, here's the ultimate test of trust: don't shoot me from behind just because I'm more exposed than anyone else,_ Alexis thought, looking down at the letter. She fingered the captain's insignia, thinking.

"Give it a try. You'll always have someone to fall back on if you need assistance," Thayer assured her.

She thought about it for a few minutes. Other people would be thrilled to have this sort of honor bestowed upon them, but to her, it felt like she was extending to Starscream another invitation for him to finish her off. Did he not once tell her that he did try to overthrow his own leader in the past? He would have no qualms about finishing her off.

Alexis drew in a large breath and released slowly. "Fine… I'll do it," she said, looking up at Thayer. He smiled encouragingly.

"Very well. Captain, please grab Davis for me before he breaks somebody's limbs. I hear he's got quite the strength. After that, you are dismissed for the rest of the day," Thayer ordered, still smiling.

Alexis didn't reply, only saluted sharply. She left the office and headed down to the hangar while tucking the letter into her pocket. She would wait to attach the captain's insignia to her uniform until after delivering Starscream to Thayer.

Outside, she found Lennox and Crowley chatting quietly while they stood guard, and paused behind Lennox. Crowley spotted and recognized the warning in her calm expression, and said, "Will, I'm going to go on down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. You want me to grab you some?"

"No thanks," Lennox declined.

Crowley checked her expression again, and then said, "I'll grab you a cup anyway… you're going to want it." He turned on his heel and left, all without offering an explanation to Lennox.

Lennox stared after Crowley in confusion when he became very aware of someone standing behind him. He turned slowly and took several steps backwards when he spotted Alexis standing there. Her expression was calm, but her arms were crossed and her stance was semi-aggressive, betraying her anger. Alexis looked just like his wife when Sarah was mightily displeased with him, and was about unleash her wrath on him.

"If this is about Ironhide, let me explain," he said. He now understood why Crowley was eager to get out of there. "I didn't know how much you knew already, so I told him to play it carefully."

"I would have much rather heard it from you that day in Mission City, rather than figure it out from someone I barely trust," Alexis snapped. "Is that why you and 'Prime', assuming that really is his name, were so obsessed with knowing what I saw during the attacks?"

"No, that really is his name," Lennox assured her. "Again, I didn't know you knew that much already." He glanced around to make sure that they were really alone, and then asked, "Have you spoken with Starscream at any point between speaking with Ironhide this morning and now?"

"Yeah, but I think that Starscream made sure that Ironhide could hear what we were discussing," Alexis said, understanding the subtle hint to lower her voice down. She frowned, and then said, "Please tell me that you don't think it wasn't Starscream who did it."

"I don't. I don't know how, but Ironhide and I aren't surprised that he wasn't around the one night the general died, and Ironhide is convinced that Starscream had a male human accomplice. It would be just like him, or any Decepticon for that matter, to bail right as something goes terribly wrong, and get a human to do the dirty work. You know, there's always a chance that he is familiar with another human, and never said anything to you," Lennox said, glancing around again.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say that he was Decepticon? He told me he was neutral party," Alexis said, scowling slightly. Maybe she should check _everything_ Starscream ever said to her with Ironhide, and figure out where the lies were.

"Yes. Deception and betrayal are the general tools of the trade. Ironhide was rather surprised to know that you've known Starscream's identity and lived this long to tell about it," Lennox said. "As for Thayer, I don't know where he's getting that confidence boost and surety that it wasn't Screamer who committed the crime, but he knows better than to deal with Decepticons."

"Who else knows?" Alexis demanded.

"Keller. Me. Sarah. The president and the cabinet, and Thayer," Lennox said, shifting his weight to his left leg; his right was beginning to fall asleep.

"So, basically, Thayer knows that Starscream is here," Alexis said.

Lennox nodded. "You know Thayer. He wouldn't insult Stanton's memory by changing the promotions. He would stick to them, and only sleep at night because he knows that there are plenty of people who would keep an eye on Starscream for you. Besides, Starscream has been trapped here. He knows that running will only make him look guilty, and that Keller has sufficient weight in encouraging the adequate forces to follow in pursuit."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that I have a homicidal alien as a second-in-command, happens to be boxed in, may eliminate me anyway just because I betrayed his trust by alerting you and Ironhide, and may even crave uncontested control of the squadron just because he can't have leadership over his own original troops?" Alexis asked, voice rising in pitch as she recited each motive against her life.

"Want me to rephrase the situation so it seems less daunting?" Lennox offered.

"Damn it Will, I just want this to be over and Starscream to leave so that I can live in peace and not keep checking over my shoulder in fear that some giant-robot-thing is about to step on me!" she nearly shouted, allowing her temper to get the better of her for once.

Lennox's expression immediately shifted to one of caring and comradely concern. "Maybe if you ask Keller at the end of this operation, you might get some leave time," he said in a comforting tone. "Just grab some rest for now."

Alexis stared at him in astonishment until she realized that he was looking over her shoulder. She whirled and saw Starscream approaching with Crowley. He nodded respectfully before heading into Thayer's office, the door closing behind him.

She turned back to Lennox and said, "Rest. That is a good idea." With a shaky salute, she turned on her heel and left the two men behind.

Alexis was going to have to try more than her best to survive the next couple of weeks. Whatever Stanton had in mind before she died, it was coming close to the end, and not a peaceful one at that.

---------------

It was late in the evening, and Maria Valdez was exhausted. It had been a rather busy day at the Mission City Memorial Hospital. First, two murder victims had been brought in by two paramedic teams. The other member of that party was already dead, and the autopsies revealed the fatal blow as a direct shot to the heart… the assassin had been a professional killer. A government official had accompanied the paramedic teams, so Maria hadn't questioned the circumstances. Then there was a car accident involving the usual drunk driver later that morning. Around noon, a woman on the verge of childbirth had been rushed into the ER, ending with a young intern fainting from the heat and the large amount of blood usually involved in pregnancies. As things were calming down, an eccentric woman rushed her husband in, who had been covered in first-degree burns. To top off everything, Maria's colleague Rose Connelly had returned for only three hours, completing a little paperwork and ferreting a few medical supplies. Then, with her Search and Rescue partner, Rose had unexpectedly vanished ten minutes before her shift had ended.

Maria had yet to hear from her.

Maria looked through the last few tasks to complete before she could go home. The two murder victims needed post-surgery checkups, but Maria knew that it wouldn't take long.

She looked to see a doctor still wearing his scrubs walk by. "Sir?" she asked.

The doctor turned to face her, and inclined his head to show that he was listening to her. The mask covering his mouth and nose was on, covering half of his face. The cap constraining his hair covered another portion of his face so that only his eyes were actually visible.

"Check on patients in rooms 112A and 113A please. They both went through surgery to remove bullet casings and receive treatments and antibiotics. They should be waking around now. Just see if they're conscious and need anything, understand?" she asked, and smiled when the doctor nodded. "Very well, good night." She left to go to her car so she could go home. Hopefully traffic wouldn't be horrendous at this hour

The man watched as the nurse walked away. Simmons was right. It did pay to have more than one agent in the base, just in case one had to finish what the other started. He admitted to himself that it had been a slight surprise at the latest turn of events. Now that his partner was compromised, it was his duty to finish what his partner started.

He walked down and easily found the two rooms that the nurse had indicated. He opened the door to 112A and walked in.

It was Monica Wethersfield. The poor woman's face was covered in bandages and a cast had been placed on her wrist and forearm. Her pained expression suggested that she was not resting well, but was conscious. Judging from the multiple balloons and flowers in the room, her family and friends must've been with her earlier that day. Monica's head slowly turned at the sound of his approaching footsteps.

"Do you feel pain?" he asked.

Monica nodded weakly.

"Don't worry. You won't be feeling anything much longer," the man said, pulling the facemask down and pulling the head cap off. He watched as her eyes widen in recognition and then shock as he reached for the tube that connected her breathing mask to the machine that was helping her breathe. She uttered a terrified squeak as she caught on to what he was going to do. Her hand shot out, aiming for the red button on the armrest that would summon a nurse in seconds.

The man was faster. He yanked the cord out of the machine, and then carefully detached the breathing mask from her face. Then he took her hand away from the red button, and sat by the bedside as she struggled to breathe on her own. The man watched as her injuries began to take their toll on her. He only released her hand when her whimpers finally ceased into silence.

He checked to make sure that she was no longer a problem, and then reattached the breathing mask to her face and the cord back to the machine. Her chest began rising and lowering, but there was no longer any heart to receive the blood.

The man put the cap and mask back on as he went to Wethersfield's neighbor. Inside was the chatty officer, Kowalski. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to go as quietly as Wethersfield went… he was propped up in bed, awake, and reading a book. There was one bandage covering his right eye, but he was calmly reading _Operation Puma_ anyway. _Convenient_, the man thought wryly. Of course Kowalski would choose a book about a military operation, albeit a failed military operation in this case.

"Oh doctor? May I please have my cell phone? I want to call my wife," Kowalski said, not looking up from his book. The man watched as Kowalski reached over and picked up the bookmark on the nightstand and tucked it into the book, marking his place. "Doctor?" he asked, turning when the man didn't immediately respond.

The man reacted out of fear of being recognized. It was okay that Monica saw because she was in no condition to tell. The man's fist snapped out and connected with Kowalski's nose.

Instead of stumbling down like the man expected, Kowalski became enraged. He tossed the book down to the floor and stumbled to his feet, the medication slowing his reflexes. Kowalski tried to charge down the man, but the man merely reached forward and seized Kowalski's throat.

The army colonel struggled futilely in the man's grasp. The man watched as Kowalski's hand scrabbled for a black oblong object on the nearby table. The man gulped as he recognized the sheath of Kowalski's personal pocketknife.

Kowalski made a desperate stab with the exposed weapon as his air supply teetered on the brink of depletion. The man swore as the knife cut the shirt, but the weapon barely nicked the skin. As a reflex action, his fist squeezed, and Kowalski went limp.

The man dropped the body, his actions quickly catching up to him. He shrugged off the little stab of guilt for killing a loyal but misguided officer. The point was that there was no one at Area 51 who could tell Keller the exact content of the meeting. All would be good as long as Tom stayed lost and the other officers stayed gone.

Four down, several more to go. The man knew that both Keller and Thayer were well guarded, and Crowley, well, Crowley was just scary and his very posture screamed 'danger!' The difficult thing was that the closest target was also the trickiest one, only because of the target's constant bodyguard. The man had tried to eliminate the bodyguard, attempting to make it look like an accident due to faulty systems, but that plan had backfired and the results had been what the man neither expected nor wanted.

Okay, bodyguard would be gone for good by the end of tomorrow, target would be either dead or a steadfast ally, and the man would be off to track down the wayward Sergeant Wilson.

His bosses still didn't know that Wilson had been arrested. They didn't know that the sergeant had escaped. Best not to tell them… it would reflect as a failure on both his, and the compromised agent's parts.

The man sighed. Time to find the next target.

---------------

A/N: I would have had this chapter up sooner, but there was fluke of circumstances, and my flashdrive with all my work vanished as a result. Thankfully, I found an extra copy on the computer. As for Kowalski's book, _Operation Puma_ was written by Edward B. Ferrer, and is a true story about the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in April 1961.


	32. Interrogation

Chapter Thirty-Two

Interrogation

"So, if you wish to play that card and bet, I will have no other choice but to raise the stakes… again," Riley warned, leaning back in his padded chair.

"Let me check the bank," Tyler, fresh from the hospital wing, said. He turned to Ari and asked, "Do you think I could handle another withdrawal?"

"Not if he raises the stakes again. I've only got twenty bucks left, which I'm going to need if he raises the stakes again. Sorry, bank's closed," Ari said, checking her cards and then poking through her wallet.

Tyler let out a heart-wrenching wail, and Alexis rolled her eyes. Only a day had gone by since the general had passed, and the pilots were now working to muster strength and morale for the future. Alexis was sitting on the top of the back of a plush armchair, while Andrew and Starscream were comfortable on a table behind Riley. Riley, Tyler, Rad, Marty, and Ari were embroiled in a five-way card battle for the four-hundred-and-fifty dollar prize in the center of the table. Alexis didn't even know the game rules, for Riley had come up with the rules and game, and it was confusing. She could recognize elements from games such as poker, hearts, and Texas Hold 'em, but that was about it. Riley had created his own version that fused the elements of the aforementioned games with rules he had created out of thin air. Basically, the five of them were playing a mishmash of card games.

She briefly glanced at Starscream as Tyler conceded defeat, put his cards into the communal deck, and then bowed out of the game. Starscream had accepted his position as second-in-command rather well, so well that Alexis was suspicious of him plotting something nasty. Ironhide had evidently jumped to the same conclusion, and was always present in the background of any public rooms. Unfortunately for Ironhide, the recreation room was an acknowledged 'private' room, and Riley had not so gently pushed him out and shut the door, stating that authorized personnel only were permitted in. At the moment however, Starscream appeared to be in one of his calmer moods, watching the game and listening to Andrew, who, by the looks of things, was alternating between educating Starscream on the finer points of cheating at card games and whispering strategies and hints to Riley.

She sighed and rested her chin on her fist. Adjusting to her new status as captain was… dodgy. She may have had only a day to get used to it, but she wasn't used to receiving the special treatment of a higher ranked officer. Crowley didn't make things easier by ordering that all personnel were to have their ranks clearly displayed on their uniforms and fatigues, so that the search for the assassin could be easier. Already two officers had been hauled down to the detention wing just because they had missed the memo. Alexis didn't know the outcome of that encounter, but she could only imagine what Crowley did. Crowley was one of those people who tended to overreact at the slightest things.

Tyler brought her thoughts and musings back to the present as he flopped down onto the seat of the armchair, the same one she was using the back support as a seat. She watched as he refocused on the game, and remembered how he came back to them. Sasquatch said he had finally woken up around six that morning, disoriented and making no sense whatsoever. Then, when the doctor assumed that Tyler was feeling better, Sasquatch gently told Tyler about the assassinations and the change in leadership. Tyler reportedly stared at the doctor for one full minute before falling back in bed in dead faint. Tyler re-awoke two hours later, and then snuck out of the medical wing, afraid that the assassin was going to come in and kill him while he slept.

"Hey Alexis."

She looked down at Tyler, who was apparently still oblivious about her rank change, something she liked and preferred. Satisfied that he had her full attention, Tyler said, "You wanna know something? I had this wonderful dream while I slept… in fact; I think I was foreseeing events to come. First, I saw a giant black robot using these giant cannons to fight off another black robot, although the second one had white splotches on it. Then this giant silver one came in and did a sucker punch to the first one's back. Then the first one got all mad and tried to punch Silver, but Black-and-White pounced him from behind. Then they both threw the first one, aka Black, into the Hoover Dam, which made him madder. It was like Black-and-White and Silver were pulling the figurative tiger's tail. But then, a yellow robot snuck up on Silver from behind." Tyler paused to catch his breath, and before Alexis could interrupt his narrative, he plunged on ahead. "Then," he said before gulping another breath of air, "then Silver and Yellow had a brawl that was just like the CZW Cage of Death III, only bigger and better obviously."

"Tyler, did you have this dream when you were out?" Alexis asked.

Tyler nodded eagerly, but clearly wasn't finished. "But then something happened, and Black-and-White jumped away from the fracas before Black could get back up, and the most amazing thing happened; he turned into a police car _in the air_. If you'd seen Black-and-White run, you would've thought _he _was on the run from the law. Silver got Yellow onto the ground and hightailed out of there pretty fast. Yellow did the cool transforming thing too, but it looked like an ambulance with a bad paint job. Then it ran. But Black stuck around, transformed into the truck that Tom lent us, and went into the parking lot. Then everything went hazy, but then a beautiful angel or two appeared to tend to my grievous battle wounds…"

"Battle wounds?" Alexis interrupted. "Tyler, you slept for the last forty something hours. The only wounds you could sustain, if anything, would be a bad back from slouching in the car."

"Yeah Ty. Are you sure you're healthy and all the gas is gone, or did you secretly watch a sci-fi movie that was rated NC-17 last night? That sounds like a pretty wild dream to me," Ari observed as she laid down two cards face up and selected one from the communal deck.

"It was a _premonition_," Tyler countered eagerly. "Don't you all see? There weren't any terrorists at Mission City… it was an extra-terrestrial attack from outer space! The aliens are so jealous of our advanced civilization and technology, that they sent the first wave of invaders! Even as we speak, they walk amongst us, plotting to take over Earth in their galactic conquest! The giant robots are just the beginning, the spies planted here to enslave all of humanity!"

To Tyler's dismay, no one visibly reacted. "Oooh scary. Little green men using robots to enslave all of humanity," Ari said in a bored tone. "Whatever are we going to do? Call the Marines. Call the Coast Guard. Call the President of the United States. Folks, we are being invaded."

"Interesting display of enthusiasm," Rad remarked cheerfully as he placed his two cards on the table. "Keep it up, and we might spread the alarm in time."

Tyler scowled at the laughter from the card players. "Just wait and see Alexis. They'll thank me when the giant robots hack into the Pentagon and the White House," he muttered angrily. "Just wait and see."

"It's okay Tyler. I think you were just hallucinating, that's all. There are no such things as aliens, or any kind of intelligent life beyond Earth," Alexis assured him, careful not to look in Starscream's direction.

Tyler just grunted in dissatisfaction.

Alexis refocused her attention on the card players, who were beyond discussing any potential invasions. Instead, baseball statistics and the latest sport scandals had claimed the spotlight of attention. The conversation then flowed from sports to the upcoming presidential campaign and the November election. After that particular topic nearly ended in a heated argument, Rad had deftly steered the conversation towards a future trip to Las Vegas, which was being planned for when they were all released for leave. This opened the conversation for stories of past gambling debts, including a story of how Andrew incurred a debt with Simmons while in Washington DC three years ago. Andrew claimed he dodged paying it because Wilson had pulled him away from the casino before he could pay, and there was little chance that Andrew was going to make an effort anyway to pay it back.

"Hey, does anyone know what day it is?" Riley asked, carefully calculating his next move.

"Twenty-seventh of May. Why?" Marty asked, casually leaning back in his seat so he could be at a better angle for optimal view of Ari's cards. Ari, seemingly oblivious, placed her cards into a single stack after completing her turn, and then placed them face down on the table.

"I had bet going with Jackson. Thirty bucks that said Stryker wouldn't last the first two months with us," Riley explained. "But here he is, and not in the middle of a catfight with the captain. So if she's okay with him, then so am I."

"All you guys are officially hopeless," Ari decreed, and then kicked Marty in the shins, having finally caught him red-handed staring at her cards. She narrowed her eyes at the card Rad had placed in the center of the table, and then consulted her hand.

"Hey Riley, can we have music in here again? The room seems quieter than usual, even with the chatter," Tyler finally piped up. He had gotten over his sulky temper earlier, and was in the mood for music.

"Then let's crank up the tunes. Andrew, my new boombox is in the cabinet over there… there should be some CDs on the shelf above. I don't know what exactly is in there since our good captain and her female lackey cleaned it out two years ago," Riley said, looking over his shoulder at Andrew. "I know they took stuff from there, but I haven't checked it in a while."

"No kidding," Andrew muttered to himself when he pulled out a Gwen Stefani CD. He was ninety-nine percent sure that this particular CD didn't belong to Riley.

"Well, it was full of junk," Ari snapped. "Besides, don't you have an iPod or something? Why not use that instead of some outdated boombox?"

"Yeah, but I save that for long road trips," Riley said, stretching in his seat. "Also, this isn't some outdated boombox. I found it in a closet near the main hangar, and I think it's pretty new."

"Check it out," Andrew said, pulling out a silver and blue boombox and placing it on the table between him and Starscream. To Alexis, the music player looked oddly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The image was teasing the edges of her memory… eh; she must've seen it in passing in some electronics store. She did notice that Starscream had found something rather amusing about the whole situation, and was thoughtfully examining the device.

Meanwhile, Andrew shoved a random CD into the slot, and then shut the lid. He frowned when the lid popped back open, and then shut it again. Holding it in place, he accepted the duct tape from Marty and taped the lid shut. Then he pressed the 'play' button. A faint and pitiable whine came from the speakers before Meat Loaf's '_Paradise by the Dashboard Lights'_ came blaring through the oversized speakers. Andrew turned the volume down a bit before settling back in his seat.

"Now that is more like it," Tyler said happily as Riley grinned and re-shuffled the deck for the next round. Riley dealt the cards, and then the battle began yet again.

_Knock knock._

Riley let out a hiss of annoyance at the interruption. Didn't Marcia know that she didn't have to knock? "Come on in," he shouted, and concentrated on the table. The game was coming to a close… he could smell victory.

Riley may not have immediately seen who walked in, but Alexis sure did. Her stomach flip-flopped as Crowley, flanked by four security officers, sauntered in as though he owned the place. She slid off the chair to slip into the 'at ease' position. Tyler caught the hint and copied her. Starscream was already in the correct position before Andrew realized who it was. Riley looked up at the sound of Andrew getting up and leapt to his feet in surprise, almost upsetting the card game and his fellow players. Rad, seeing Crowley, stood up and patiently waited for further instructions. Marty scrambled to his feet as well.

Ari was the only one who didn't seem to panic considering the fact that Crowley was standing right behind her chair. Instead, she seemed rather annoyed. "Captain, would it honestly kill you to wait until after the game to arrest somebody? I was about to win," she complained, stubbornly refusing to stand up. "Riley has been cheating the entire time but I actually had a chance of beating him this time."

"Get up and shut up Aliskevicz," Crowley snapped. Ari complied, although Alexis could hear her friend muttering choice vocabulary describing Crowley as she got up. "All right, all of you stand in a line. I have to do facial ID just because I don't know all of the damn names here, so no complaining," Crowley ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Even Starscream complied without his usual sarcastic remark. Ari wedged herself into line between Starscream and Alexis, while Tyler wiggled in between Ari and Starscream, placing himself in the middle of the line. Crowley didn't seem concerned at all about the order of the lineup… he was content at the moment by the current order. He waited patiently as the five of them quieted down, and then said, "All right. I'll make this quick and painless for everybody. Ladies, step aside." He waited until Ari and Alexis obeyed him, and then said, "Okay, Marty and Andrew, step aside." He then studied the last four still standing there. Alexis could only imagine what had happened now that Starscream had to be implicated.

"Davis and Mackerson, step aside," Crowley ordered, and both men complied. This left Tyler and Rad standing in the middle of the room. Tyler was beginning to sweat uncontrollably, and was now visibly shaking slightly in fear.

Something cracked in Tyler's mind. "I DID IT!" he suddenly screeched, throwing his arms up in frustration, nearly smacking Rad in the face. Everyone stepped back a little, caught off guard by the sudden declaration.

"Did what?" Ari whispered, startled and slightly scared.

"Did what?" Crowley asked, careful not to betray his irritation.

"I did it," Tyler repeated, still shaking. "I'm the one who paid Whitmann to gimmick the security camera in front of the refrigerator so I could get my midnight snacks in peace! I'm the one who stole fifteen cents from Tom's cubbyhole so I could have enough to buy a souvenir from the Hoover Dam! I'm the one who has been feeding Charlie Ritz crackers for the last three years! I'm the one who spilled a glob of peanut butter in Ari's car and shoved it all under the backseat!" When no one reacted in the five seconds of silence, Tyler half-screamed, "_I put a squirrel in the black truck from the Hoover Dam and never saw it again!"_

"Well, at least that explains the ant trail I found in my car that one time," Ari muttered. "As for squirrels, I didn't see any squirrels after the earthquake."

"I think it's safe to assume that it either escaped the truck or got crunched somehow," Alexis muttered back, thinking of the complex transforming process that both Autobots and Decepticons went through. She could see how a small animal could easily get crushed in all those gears… although it would probably gum the entire process up by getting lodged in a place where it was hard to remove it. She would have to check with Ironhide later.

Crowley was unimpressed with the steady flow of confessions. In fact, he seemed annoyed instead of angry. "Son, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked calmly, carefully masking his irritation.

"I… I don't know… isn't that why you're here… to um, arrest… I think I'm going to shut up now," Tyler stammered, and, true to his word, remained quiet.

Crowley rolled his eyes in annoyance, and then focused on the pair. Both men looked similar, close enough to be confused with each other. It didn't help that his only clue was a blurry image from the computer lab cams, taken on the date of the first attempt to siphon information from the database. The video had shown a male take the analyst's computer to hack into the network. Then Charlie cut the computer cables, and hightailed out of there before weaponry was pulled out. Still, the cameras caught the man's face, and Crowley was determined to examine every face in the base in order to catch the hacker. Then he would focus his attention on capturing the assassin, who had taken a backseat on Crowley's priority list because Crowley had no leads to speak of, and he had a better chance of catching the hacker.

"Take both of them," he ordered to the guards behind him, who saluted and swiftly handcuffed both Tyler and Rad. Tyler was too stunned to speak a word, while Rad merely observed his being handcuffed somewhat impatiently.

"Let me sort this out," Alexis said, grabbing Ari's shoulder as Ari attempted to intervene. "There is really no reason to worry; we both know that Tyler never did anything suspicious, and that he can't handle interrogations at all. He'll probably tell Crowley a long list of crimes he'd committed since the sixth grade."

Ari didn't look convinced.

Alexis intercepted Crowley. "As their acting superior, I request that I accompany you to defend them," she said, narrowing her eyes in attempt to make it clear that arguments would not be tolerated.

"Sorry, no can do," Crowley said, smirking. "Since we're ranked equals, I can choose to ignore whatever orders and/or any requests that you have, especially since it is dealing in security matters, which is _my_ department." He turned away and ordered, "Someone take these two down to the detention center pronto."

"Hey Crowley," Ari said, sidling up beside Alexis. "This is an Air Force base right?" she asked, and Crowley nodded, suspicious of where the conversation was going. "Well, doesn't that technically mean that your orders are overruled if an Air Force officer says otherwise? Meaning, Alexis does have the right to discipline those under her own command, and her orders and requests do have precedent over yours."

Crowley scowled as Alexis silently thanked Ari with her eyes. "Fine, you can come," Crowley growled. "Just leave Davis behind, and come alone."

Alexis gestured to Starscream that she would be fine, and followed Crowley down the hall. She fell in step with the grumpy security chief, and then asked, "If anything, what would they be charged with?"

Crowley sighed, and then answered, "Siphoning a huge data off the network illegally. I have nothing new whatsoever on the assassin, other than the fact that he killed my only two eyewitnesses, aka the two other assassination victims. There was a nurse who saw the assassin himself, and was interrogated, but we confirmed that she hadn't gotten a good look at any identification factors on the suspect." He paused, and then asked, "Question: the day before the assassination, how was Tom's gait?"

Alexis frowned at the question and thought back to the specified date. "I think he was walking mostly unaided… I don't know really, I wasn't paying attention to Tom, more to the general. Why? Do you think you got the wrong person?" she asked. "We all saw him get arrested."

"But Mission City criminal mastermind Luigi bailed him out yesterday," Crowley said, lowering his voice so neither Rad nor Tyler could hear. "I don't think he did it just to show Keller that he was capable of such a feat, springing a military prisoner from his heavily armed escort. I think he was on Simmons's paycheck… we have an old video of Luigi accepting a deal from Simmons to keep close tabs on some junky yellow Camaro a week or so before Mission City."

"Huh. Ever occur to you that Tom might not like prison very much and had pre-arranged some sort of agreement with Luigi _before_ he was arrested?" Alexis asked. "It is somewhat well known around here that Tom had a variety of shady friends growing up before he entered military service. If you ever bothered to poke your head out of that security wing of yours, you would catch onto stuff like that."

It was Crowley's turn to look thoughtful. "Never thought of it like that," he remarked. "Either way, Luigi is profiting off of this." He scowled, and said, "What if he assassinated the general? Gangsters will do mostly anything for protection from the law and money."

Alexis sighed, and then said; "Now I think you're fishing around."

Crowley offered a sardonic smile. "Either that or I'm stumbling into a gold mine of the drudgery of humanity," he suggested

At that point, they had arrived to the detention wing. Crowley directed Tyler and his two escorts off to room down the hall. One of the men was trying to read Tyler his rights, but Tyler was asking at least ten questions after each right. Crowley gestured for Alexis to follow Rad into a closer room.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Collins; he's singing louder than a canary," Crowley muttered as the two officers escorted Rad into a nearby room, reading him his rights. Crowley gestured for Alexis to go into another door. She reluctantly obeyed, not sure whether to trust him or not.

Alexis entered the observation room that overlooked the bare room that had only a lone wooden chair and table. In the observation room, a long table extended the length of the large window. Computers and security camera displays were on one end, while most of the audio equipment, which consisted of headsets and speakers, was on the other end.

She looked up as the observation door opened, and saluted as Keller came in. He nodded in greeting, and then looked into the adjoining room where Rad was being placed in the lone chair, his back to them.

"White is taking this more calmly than I thought he would. Crowley just said he had a suspect or two for the siphoning," Keller finally said, breaking the silence. "I thought that one of the suspects would be panicking."

"Tyler is. Before this is over, Crowley will know every little thing that Tyler ever did wrong, including stealing crayons in kindergarten. Tyler never handled this sort of thing very well," Alexis told him. "I have a question though." When Keller looked at her, she said, "If you and Thayer both know that Starscream is here and under the alias of 'Stryker Davis', why keep us together?"

"I asked Thayer that. He said that it felt wrong to alter Stanton's last wishes, and he had a gut feeling that everything would work out in the end. The first part about Stanton is understandable, since she never knew about Starscream," Keller answered. "To be perfectly honest, I do not trust him on that. He seems to be running on his gut feelings a lot lately."

"Where is he?" Alexis asked.

Keller sighed, and said, "He came here on a public flight, and apparently picked up some cold that was flying around in the cabin. So he's in his quarters, dealing with a stuffy nose, an upset stomach and a hyperactive doctor. Don't worry, nobody poisoned him or anything." The last part had been quickly added when he caught sight of her panicked expression.

Footsteps in the interrogation room caught their attention, and they both saw Crowley saunter in alone. He stopped directly in front of Rad, and said, "All right White. If we both cooperate with each other, then no one goes home with hurt feelings and we both get out of here faster. Understood?" This had to have been some prearranged signal, for two technicians appeared out of nowhere and sat down at the table, one to man the computers, one to man the audio equipment. The second technician slipped the headset on, and pressed 'record' on a nearby tape recorder. The first technician adjusted a speaker so that he and the two other occupants in the room could listen in.

Rad nodded in reply to Crowley's query, still relaxed.

Alexis fell silent and focused on the room ahead of her.

"So," Crowley began, "You were sick earlier this week and all through last week right? Did you ever go to see Sasquatch?"

"No, I didn't want to burden the doctor with more tasks," Rad replied amiably. He leaned back in his chair, hands clasped folded behind his head. He looked extremely comfortable.

"You do realize that there were nine other doctors you could've seen right?" Crowley asked.

Rad shook his head. Alexis could see the reason for so… Rad was a newcomer to the base, and did not have years of experience at the base, so he would not have known of Sasquatch's minions.

Crowley abruptly changed topics without warning. "Did you ever go to West Point or take one of those ROTC programs while in college?" he asked, procuring and opening what appeared to be Rad's files. He studied the contents, and then said, "Interesting set of classes."

Now Rad was curious. "I took all the necessary courses to handle this career," he assured the head of security.

"I know," Crowley replied, turning another page. "I guess you took a ROTC program… West Point cadets don't usually have a discipline record this extensive," he said, studying the current page. "Anything really of note?"

"Just the usual college pranks, nothing serious," Rad said, but Alexis thought she saw a faint crack in Rad's relaxed façade.

"Well, I haven't been to college in years, but back when I went, it wasn't a 'usual college prank' to hack into the school networks to alter performance records. Is it now?" Crowley asked, turning the folder around and displaying a document with red writing on the front. From the distance she was at, Alexis couldn't see the specific text, but Rad could, and he blanched at the sight of a long-forgotten crime. Crowley smiled in friendly way and said, "Not a good memory after all huh?"

Rad did not answer. Alexis could tell that the document had seriously rattled him.

Not bothered by the fact that Rad was now silent, Crowley continued with his monologue. "It says here that you were a computer whiz back in college, so I thought, 'hey, if he can do that with college records, then why not military records?' So I decided to contact the man you'd labeled as your trainer on your electronic records. Then a funny thing happened when I called him… he had no idea who I was talking about. Tried describing you a bit, but he still had no clue. Discouraged, I tried to track your path in life from graduation, and found that you ended up as a paper-pusher for Ross Lynch."

There was a silence, and then Keller glanced at Alexis, frowning. "How do we know that Crowley is telling the truth and not making up lies so he can find an excuse to arrest White?" he asked.

"We don't know. But Rad is kind of confirming everything for Crowley by not saying anything in his own defense," Alexis whispered back.

"That, and allowing White a chance to confess," one of the technicians, the one monitoring the cameras, said, drawing their attention to him. "As rough as he seems, the captain doesn't really like using brute force to get information. If White readily confesses to anything, then the punishment won't be as severe. If he has nothing to confess, then he should be able to weather every intimidation tactic Crowley uses." After he finished saying that, the man went back to the cameras and computer screen.

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy, rooting through my stuff like that?" Rad demanded, having found his voice again.

"This is an investigation. It will invade everyone's privacy until we find some solid answers," Crowley answered, looking slightly bored, as though he had somewhere else more important and entertaining to be. He raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Do you want to pick up where I left off?"

"No." Rad snapped.

Crowley shrugged. "It's okay. I know the story well now, and Keller and your precious captain will love to hear this when we are done. Anyway, back to the paper-pusher job. Lynch allegedly caught you stealing his info and uploading it onto the Internet as paybacks for some snide remark he'd made. Yet for some bizarre reason, this document here says you was never fired for it." He frowned, and said, "In fact, I think there's a typo on this document. Nowhere in this document does it say you were ever fired. So, if everything was to be believed, you were serving in the military about the same time you were working in Lynch's corporation." Crowley looked at Rad and said in a mocking tone, "Oh White. You _have_ to tell me the secret of being in two places at once… I've been dying to try something like that out."

Rad wasn't focusing on Crowley at this point, but more of the two armed soldiers who had entered with long rifles. One of the technicians in the observation room made a sound of approval, and said, "Those rifles aren't loaded, but the prisoner doesn't know that. The intimidation has been taken up a notch."

"I invited these two men to join us. They weren't needed with Collins; that boy is still singing loud and proud," Crowley said, carefully analyzing Rad's bodily reactions. A sly smile suddenly formed on Crowley's face as a thought occurred to him. "Of course, I could always get Stryker Davis here to work on you… I know how much you guys love to get along…"

"He should have died!" Rad suddenly spat in anger. He paled further when he realized what he had just blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Crowley asked, feigning surprise. Alexis refrained from rolling her eyes… Crowley obviously knew the deep hatred between Rad and Starscream, and how a mere mention of Stryker's name was enough to spark a fire in Rad's blood, so much that Rad would start talking readily about things that he had meant to keep as a secret.

"The day that he returned from the Hoover Dam… he should have died. I got up early specifically that morning to sabotage the damn jet because I knew he would be in the exercise later that day… but then Alexis nearly crashed…" Rad's voice trailed off as he realized whom he had sabotaged in reality.

Crowley grinned and asked, "So, you meant to sabotage Davis, but didn't realize that Davis had taken his F-22, and so you got Preston's jet thinking it was Davis's and nearly killed _her_ instead." The captain leaned slightly and said, "I don't know what you were thinking, but I do know for sure that you can't exactly woo a lady when you endanger her life."

Alexis nearly groaned at the reference to the relationship tangles, but the shock of figuring out who had sabotaged her deadened the situation for her and stopped the vocal complaint. Keller looked surprise at the new revelation.

"Are you any good with cars too?" Crowley asked, still grinning. "Confused the general's silver Lexus with the black GMC when you aimed to have the car blow with Davis in it?"

Rad's stubborn silence answered the question for Crowley. "It was dark in the parking garage when I went in to gimmick it," Rad finally muttered.

"So then let me guess. You, Mr. Computer Whiz-Kid, siphoned all that data off the networks and pinned the blame on Davis and Aliskevicz because you hated Davis and it seemed like something Aliskevicz would do in her spare time. Am I correct?" Crowley asked, looking like a little boy on Christmas morning, a child who had found the present of the year. When Rad didn't answer at all, and only flushed redder in anger and embarrassment, Crowley remarked, "You know, for an undercover agent, you're really not that smart. You allowed your emotions to dictate your actions, and left a predictable trail for guys like me to follow."

"I wasn't alone, you know," Rad said coolly. Alexis looked away from him, unable to fully comprehend what was going on. "He was just as much of a klutz as I was."

"Oh, ready to sell out on your accomplice now that he's no use to you huh?" Crowley asked. Alexis could tell that despite himself, Crowley was immensely enjoying this conversation.

"He can't hurt anybody now… you've gone and arrested him!" Rad spat. When Crowley frowned, Rad continued, saying, "If it's any comfort, you caught your damned assassin already." One of the soldiers holding the empty rifles suddenly advanced threateningly, and Rad panicked, speaking fast now in his panic. "After Oroville, Lynch ran into Wilson at some random café and they used to be buddies and all, and Wilson was expressing his displeasure at the way things were handled and he and Lynch started talking, and well, things kind of went from there."

Alexis gasped softly as Keller frowned in shock. The pair of them stared at each other, both well aware that Tom had just been freed from his prison.

"Music to my ears," Crowley observed softly, grinning slightly. The false bravado from Rad had been cracked and broken. "Keep talking, and there might be some sort of clemency for you at the end of all this," he said, placing both hands on the table and leaning down towards Rad.

"Wilson was supposed to arrange to allow me to stay here so that I could get some kind of specific information from the general's databank for Lynch. I was 'sick' so I could get out of flying… I can't fly to save my life!" Rad said quickly.

When Rad hesitated, Crowley turned to nearest officer and said, "Fetch Davis for me please. He's not going to want to miss this."

"I'm talking Captain!" Rad snapped. Crowley signaled for the officer to wait and looked back at Rad. Rad sighed and said, "I sort of panicked when Wilson said that he was going to have to get me into the air just to deflect suspicion from other pilots. He knew I was no pilot. I was stressing out about it all evening, the night of the assassinations. Then I heard the gunshots, and could only assume what was going on. I ran to check with Wilson, and it turned out he was trying to do damage control because the general was trying to dig her way through sensitive Sector Seven business. I couldn't call Lynch, so I acted upon my own jurisdiction, and used Wilson's rifle to hit him in the back of the head, just enough to stun him, not kill him. Then I called Simmons and lied, saying that Stanton had compromised Wilson, not me."

"Who are you working for, Lynch or Simmons?" Crowley asked.

"I'm working for Lynch, who has been directing this operation. Stanton's death was supposed to be some kind of appeal to get back into Simmons's good graces so that he would lend in some forces to remove every penetrating threat into Sector Seven business. Lynch and Simmons were protecting something, and the general was the closest to the Sector Seven secrets." Rad said, keeping an eye on the officer who was waiting for Crowley's permission to get Stryker.

"Wouldn't be the first time she got too close," Keller muttered to himself, but Alexis had the sense not to ask about it.

Crowley was quiet throughout this stream of confession. Alexis could tell that he was thinking through the information. Finally, he asked quietly, "White, how much, if any, blood do you have on your hands right now?"

Rad didn't answer that particular question.

"How much did you steal over the time you've been here?" Crowley asked again.

"That night that the alarm went off, Wilson pulled the alarm so I could get a few of the texts that Madsen had translated and start working. The flashdrive that went missing, Wilson had pilfered in the confusion of the fight between Mackerson and Davis. He gave it to me, which I passed to Lynch, who presumably gave it to Simmons." Rad whispered. Alexis guessed that he was scared of Starscream now, and would keep talking as long as it kept Starscream away. Rad suddenly looked up at Crowley and said, "Please don't repeat any of this to Alexis… please."

Crowley offered a victorious grin, and said casually, "I don't have to." He looked up at the two of them in the observation room past Rad's shoulder and asked, "Still think my security is compromised Mr. Secretary?"

Keller scowled, but Crowley gestured for the two of them to step out into the hall. Alexis followed, still in shock over what had just transpired. Crowley met them out in the hall.

"White will stay in here until we recapture Wilson. When we do, we'll bring him back here and wait for a little while to formally bring the pair to the courts for big-time thieving and murder, in addition to any other charges I somehow wrangle from them. We wait so that ," Crowley said quietly. "In the meantime, I know a technician who is fairly good at mimicry, and so we'll make him pass off as White and contact Lynch. Using the cellular connection, we will try to establish a location of Lynch's signal. I think that wherever Lynch is, Simmons is likely to be near."

Alexis swallowed, trying to put the recent memory of Rad's betrayal in the back of her mind. She couldn't deal with that right now. "Captain, since you plan to keep White here, that leaves the squadron at fifteen and an odd man out. We are going to need another pilot."

"Contact Edwards Air Force base. See if they can't spare a man or two," Keller ordered. "Then get the rest of your squadron prepped. Thayer informed me this morning that an important assignment came in early this morning, an assignment concerning the president." He turned to Crowley and asked, "Assuming that tracing Lynch proves to be impossible, what is your backup plan?"

"We tell him that the president is flying back to the capital from Sacramento, and plans to take the issue of Mission City to the United Nations summit in two weeks from now. Not only that, but there will be a formal investigation to ensure that Sector Seven legitimately disbanded when ordered," Crowley said. "Lynch will probably take the news seriously, report to Simmons and will set up an ambush at the airfield in order to prevent the investigation from being carried out."

"What about us?" Alexis cut in. "How does the four-oh-first get worked into this?"

"As escorts of _Air Force One_, it will be your duty to prevent any sort of attack, aerial or otherwise. You all will get off easy, since you know what will apparently be coming at the end," Crowley said grimly. He glanced at Keller and said, "Thayer told me about the assignment earlier."

"So you're offering up the president as bait without informing the Secret Service?" Keller demanded.

Crowley grinned and said, "We need genuine reactions Mr. Secretary, otherwise whoever Lynch hires will know it's a setup. The goal is to keep stringing them along as long as possible until Lynch or Simmons messes up big time and allow us to move in."

Keller narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is this something Toni came up with before she died? The plan's got her fingerprints all over it."

Crowley shrugged. "I don't know what her exact plan was, but I based this plan on the rough sketch she had given us a few weeks ago. She wouldn't have anticipated White's treachery or Wilson's backstab but hey, I'm reacting to the conditions given to me. Plus, I'll take your observation as a compliment," he said.

"Excuse me?"

The three of them turned to see another officer standing there. The poor man looked exhausted, his hair sticking up in several directions. He had a half-crazed look about on his features, and appeared to be barely keeping his sanity in check.

"May we release Collins now? The idiot _won't shut up_. Even when we try to tell him that he is innocent, he launches into a fresh wave of confessions and dire warnings. Hell, he would've spent hours telling us about the approach of the end of human civilization if we hadn't ordered him to shut up. Sir, we all think that Collins does not possess the capacity for the intelligence required to hack into computers or sabotage cars," the officer explained.

"Let him go. We caught the hacker, and as a bonus, the saboteur as well," Crowley assured him, and then turned to Alexis. "Captain, I think you should run along now and assemble the pilots. It is their first official mission since the terrorist attacks after all," Crowley told her.

She nodded, and then saluted to Keller. She quickly left the security wing, wishing to leave the bad memories behind for now. Alexis did not stop to speak with anyone along the way, even dodging Ari near the mess hall. She headed straight to the main hangar, figuring that she would find Riley first and have him pass along the message to the other pilots.

Riley wasn't alone in the main hangar. He was holding Charlie while speaking with Starscream, who was casually leaning against the F-22 Raptor. Both men looked up when she entered, and Charlie squirmed out of Riley's grip and promptly vanished in the nearest bolthole.

"Someone looks like she's seen a ghost," Riley observed when she walked up to them. "So, what happened with Crowley?"

"Riley, go find everyone else and tell them to get suited up. We're going to have to escort the president from California to Washington DC later this afternoon. We have to be ready with no delay," Alexis quietly ordered. Sensing that he wasn't going to get answers right away, Riley nodded and then saluted. Alexis waited until Riley had left the hangar before remarking, "Looks like you were telling the truth after all… you didn't have anything to do with the assassination."

Starscream shrugged. "The manner of the deaths simply wasn't my style… I prefer deaths with more flair and… what's the word? Intricacies? Planning an assassination is half the fun while executing it is the other half," he replied casually, pressing 'pause' on Riley's silver and blue player that was sitting on a crate nearby. "I really have better things to do than watch the petty conflicts within members of your race and determine how I can insert my own twists into them. There is no entertainment in trying to determine the best way to kill one of your kind… the size difference between us makes it clear that either stepping on you or attacking you in vehicular mode are the only two options really, and there is no fun from that."

Alexis put a hand on her hip and asked, "Starscream, did you ever play with your food when you were younger?" If he had, it would explain a lot. To her, he seemed to enjoy playing with his prey before finally finishing them off.

Starscream gave her an odd look. "Of course not. It is a juvenile activity and not worth the time," he replied. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I also do not like engaging in pointless verbal exchanges with femmes who are wasting my time."

"If you're trying to impress me with the French, it's not working," she informed him as the hologram fizzed out of existence completely.

A grunt came from the jet.

Alexis rolled her eyes and picked up the music player. "Well, just be ready to go later this afternoon," she snapped, carrying the player to the other side of the hangar so that it would be out of the way.

Then she stalked out of the main hangar to go look for Tyler, just to make sure he was okay.

---------------

Crowley could hear Keller's footsteps right behind him as he headed into the center of all security operations within the base. He gestured for Keller to join him at the small balcony railing that overlooked the maze of computers and other small office-like compartments. "Jenson! Quenton! Where are you two? Front and center!" Crowley barked, scanning the maze of security personnel.

Keller watched as two men came out of the crowd, silent and deadly. They stood at straight attention as their superior steadily gazed at them. The secretary could only guess to their purpose.

"All right, listen up. I want to the two of you to do two things for me. One, find and kill Luigi. I am _sick_ of his constant interference in military business, and I warned him last time that if I ever caught him interfering again, I would not hesitate to kill him," Crowley ordered. "He is to be shot on sight, no questions asked."

"You managed to speak to him?" Keller asked, puzzled yet surprised.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Last year, we had him prisoner for a grand total of three hours," he explained. "Three strikes and he would be out. First strike was bartering for military secrets. Second strike was stealing the general's car and using it in a sting operation against a rival gang. Third strike was springing Wilson." Crowley turned to the two men. "That brings me to my second order. Bring Wilson back to me. Dead or alive it doesn't matter to me, but don't risk your lives if it's easier to just finish him off. Assuming you two do manage to secure him alive, wreck his legs up further so he can't escape so easily the next time."

Both assassins saluted, and then faded back into the hubbub of the security wing. "Do you even trust them?" Keller asked warily, searching the crowd for the two men who had been standing right in front of him a few minutes ago. They had vanished from sight completely.

"With my life. I've worked with those two for _years_ now," Crowley answered, staring out across his domain.

"Earlier, you seemed to indicate to Preston that Wilson would live," Keller observed.

Crowley shrugged. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, Wilson and I never got along to begin with. With good people dying left and right, what is one traitor to me?" he asked.

Keller did not answer.

----------------

A/N: So, there it is. Hopefully, that cleared some things up for you all. Question for readers: Are the updates too erratic and unpredictable for you? Would you prefer a more strict, once-a-week updating schedule? As a quick mention, CZW Cage of Death III is a wrestling TV show. Finally, this is the beginning of the final stretch. We probably have... ten or less chapters to go now, and I hope you are all enjoying it so far.


	33. Russatus Caelum

Chapter Thirty-Three

Russatus Caelum

"Wicked," Ari breathed, leaning back in her padded seat. Alexis had just recounted the story of the interrogation to a group of eager 401st listeners in the rec room a few hours after lunch. She left out her discussion with Keller and Crowley, deciding that privacy was key at the moment. It was now early afternoon, after lunch, but Alexis was still shaken from the memory Rad's confessions. To her left, she could sense that Starscream was fuming, miffed that he, a proud veteran warrior, had been mistaken for an inferior female human.

"But hey!" Riley said in a vain attempt to lift the gloomy mood. He moved Charlie to the other shoulder and then said, "We get to be the escorts of _Air Force One_. Now that's something that doesn't happen every day." He repositioned his hands to better support Charlie, and then asked, "Anyone see where my boombox went off too? I don't remember what I did with it."

"You left that piece of scrap metal in the hangar," Ari reminded him, and Riley scowled.

"What about Marty? He won't be able to come with us," Marcia said, frowning slightly as she contemplated the current problem. "He can't fly solo… what if something happened to him?"

"Mr. Thayer was able to secure a pilot from Edwards Air Force base to temporarily take Rad's place. At the same time, the pilot will bring an extra jet for me to use," Alexis patiently explained.

Riley's head jerked up at the mention of the arrival of a potential nemesis, and Charlie growled when he sensed the change in his master's mood. Riley narrowed his eyes, and whispered, "Ten bucks says it's a Fifty-first snob coming."

"Twenty says it's Kingston coming… they wouldn't dare risk sending their captain, especially since Stryker nearly throttled him," Ari said, looking up at Alexis. She frowned, and then asked, "Would they?"

"I accept both bets!" Tyler interrupted eagerly. Alexis looked at him, just to be sure that he was really all right. She had been worrying over his mental state after he tucked tail and ran out of the security wing the moment he had been released. Then he went missing for several hours, only reappearing during lunch feeling better. He had also been a little upset that his interrogator hadn't believed him about the whole alien threat. Alexis sighed when she remembered that Tyler proclaimed that he would break into the Oval Office just to warn the president about the alien threat.

"That's thirty total if you lose completely, Tyler," Marcia warned, but Tyler merely shrugged.

"Wasn't Kingston the one who pulled your hair the last time they were here?" Andrew asked, glancing at Alexis. "Then Stryker jumped Tobias and Kingston… or that might've been Riley getting him…"

"No, I jumped Henry. I think Collins tried to get Kingston, but didn't have enough mass to effectively take him down. Either way, whoever it is, I call first dibs," Riley said, pulling himself out of the chair. He slipped on his flight jacket as Ari checked one of her jacket zippers. The pilots were all ready to go, but were just waiting for the command.

The door to the rec room opened, and a young security officer entered. Tyler flinched as he suffered through a sense of déjà vu while Alexis tensed, well aware of what had happened the _last_ time a security officer had entered the room.

The young man balked at the sight of several hostile expressions greeting him. "Um captain?" he asked when he finally spotted her. "The pilot from Edwards Air Force base has arrived, and Mr. Thayer requests that you all leave soon. _Air Force One_ will be flying near the no-fly zone soon and the security onboard is expecting you to show up and be there at the appointed time. I am to escort you to the hangar to greet the newcomer." He waited at the door after finishing, clearly impatient to get a move on and get away from the hostile pilots.

"Everybody is to be prepared to leave when the word is given," Alexis warned as she walked towards the door, her self-appointed 'bodyguards' in tow. "We will be arriving in Washington DC later this evening, and I don't know how long we'll be there, probably until we receive further orders."

"Sure thing cap'n," Ari said, sticking her leg out just to trip Riley up a bit. She smiled sweetly at his accusing glare, and then screamed when he deposited a cranky Charlie into her lap.

Alexis left the room and followed the young officer down the hall towards the main hangar. She felt edgy that Starscream and Riley, the two most volatile men in the base, were close behind her. She longed to ask them if they were coming for curiosity's sake or were just looking to pick a fight with the new unlucky arrival. Starscream would most definitely come to pick a fight, while Riley could go either way.

She looked to her right as she heard another set of footsteps, and recognized Ironhide's hologram approaching them. He did not acknowledge the pilots, but instead went straight to the young officer escorting them, who was puzzled by the sudden appearance.

"Captain Crowley wishes to see you. I'll handle them… it shouldn't be too hard," the hologram said, gesturing to the three pilots. "The captain apparently has questions or something like that."

"Can't he wait?" the young officer asked, voice wobbling at the mention of Crowley's name.

"He wants to see you now. It concerns the technical security of the laboratories," Ironhide told him, keeping a calm expression.

"But I didn't do anything!" the officer insisted, panic raising the pitch of his voice.

"Then you should have nothing to worry about," Ironhide said, the logic plain and clear. The four of them watched as the officer left, and Alexis felt a little pity for him. No doubt the officer was sure that Crowley had less than noble intentions for him.

Ironhide finished the escorting job in silence. Alexis said nothing to him; she wouldn't even dare indicate that she knew him since Starscream was right behind her. She felt as though both men were aware of the identity of each other, and was engaged in a battle of wills to see who would crack first and betray the other. She no longer felt comfortable; the tension between the two enemies was thick, but slowly stretching. Riley was blissfully unaware that he was the only reason that a battle didn't erupt in the hall right then and there.

Alexis didn't know if Riley's ignorance was a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully, she'd never find out.

The hangar echoed with their footsteps as they entered the cavernous room. Sunlight poured in from the open doors, which were waiting for the new arrival. Alexis could see the clear skies and sensed that the weather was going to stay in perfect conditions for the duration of the flight. A scuffling behind her caught her attention, and she turned around to find Riley searching through a stack of crates, looking for his music player. The device had mysteriously vanished, although her gut feeling said that only Starscream would be able to sufficiently explain its disappearance.

A roar of engines announced the arrival of the 51st pilot. Alexis could see the 51st insignia on the tailfin as the jet gently turned into its slot in the neat row of F-22s. Riley tensed while Starscream clasped his hands behind his back and waited patiently as the engine finally stopped. Alexis braced herself as the cockpit opened, prepared to intervene if Starscream and Riley did decide to charge the 'intruder' after all. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ironhide flinch as he saw Starscream assume the 'at ease' position. He was also expecting a confrontation.

After pushing the cockpit hatch open, the pilot nimbly jumped off the edge of the wing rather than waiting for a proper ladder. She waited patiently as the pilot walked over, frowning slightly when the pilot balked at the sight of Riley and Starscream behind her. _Great. A fight between this guy and Starscream is really the last thing we need,_ she thought darkly as the man walked forward again, albeit slower than before. The pilot stopped before her, saluted sharply, and then finally removed his helmet.

There was no way around it. Blood was going to be spilled tonight.

"Congratulations on the promotion, Preston," Tobias Jackson greeted in a friendly manner, a far cry from their previous interactions. She watched as his eyes slipped from her to Starscream and Riley behind her. "Nice to see you guys again. How's it going?" he asked, as though there had never been any bad blood between them.

Riley was only capable of a shaky smile while Starscream's eyes narrowed in a confrontational manner. Interested in diffusing the fight before it even began, she said, "Thank you Captain, for arriving on such short notice." She smiled pleasantly, resisting the overwhelming urge to kick Starscream in the ankle for his rudeness.

Riley beat Starscream to it. "Who was your second-in-command, Henry or Kingston?" he asked, ignoring the shocked expression on Alexis's face.

"Kingston is, but Henry likes to think he's my second-in-command," Tobias replied, still smiling slightly. Turning to Alexis, he said, "Actually ma'am, I stepped down from my post as captain for this mission, so you will be in charge. The reason is that there should be as little confusion as possible when delivering orders for this mission, especially if we are to be guarding the president." His eyes flickered back to Starscream and said, "Judging from the looks of things, you seem to have everything under control, despite the fact that Davis looks like he needs to kill something right now."

"Are you volunteering to be the victim?" Riley asked, perking up at the thought.

Tobias laughed slightly. "Nope. Promised my girlfriend I would come home without fingerprints on my neck next time," he said, shrugging the memory of the incident off. He walked past Alexis up to Starscream, and to Alexis's horror, placed a hand on Starscream's shoulder. "Do you think we can cooperate for this mission lieutenant?" he asked.

For a moment, Alexis was sure that Starscream was going to say no. Instead, he inclined his head towards Tobias and replied, "I suppose we could try for this mission only, but I cannot guarantee a success."

"Sounds good to me," Tobias said cheerfully, dropping his hand from Starscream's shoulder. He turned to Alexis and said, "Captain, I will be ready to leave as soon as you are. I was instructed to inform you that you have permission to use the jet that I brought in while I fill in for White for now." He raised an eyebrow, and said, "I would recommend doing that so it's easier to deliver orders."

"Thank you," Alexis said. "We should be getting ready to leave now, and will depart in twenty minutes. The jet you will be using is down the hall, and to the left."

"I'll go with him and round everyone up," Riley volunteered.

"Don't start anything," Alexis warned, and Riley rolled his eyes.

"Take it easy captain. I want to play my card game with him, so I won't kill him right away," Riley assured her before turning around and leaving with Tobias in tow.

"How did he ever find the time to come up with such a game?" Starscream hissed as the pair walked away. "It appears too complex to have done it in such a short amount of time between conflicts."

Alexis sighed as she thought about it. "To make a long story short," she finally said, "Riley got into a car accident a few years ago while on leave, and got bored of playing poker in the hospital with either his roommate, who had only a broken leg, or with one of his visitors. He tried to mix up the routine so it was a different card game every day, but got bored of doing that. So he came up with this mishmash over the weekend, and was ready to test it out that following Monday. He straightened out the kinks over the week, and was addicted to it by Friday."

"Why cards though?" Starscream asked, following her as she drifted to the jet. Alexis noticed that Ironhide had vanished at some point, but suspected that he was only lurking in the hallway. "Why not something else?" Starscream asked, drawing her attention back to him.

"He needed to pay off his hospital bills, so he earned the money through card games, but he'll give you a false reason why if you ask him," Alexis said, turning to face Starscream. She looked up and made eye contact with him, something she hadn't done in a while. "You should probably get ready to go… unless you're ready now," she observed.

Starscream snorted. "I'm always ready," he said in a lofty manner. Then his expression softened slightly, something that had never happened with him. Alexis backed up half a step, suddenly wary of his intentions. "I'm curious," he said, placing both his hands on the jet on either side of her, entrapping her. She stepped back, slightly nervous at the close proximity. "As a race, you know that you are not impervious to easy injury or death," he said in a low voice, lowering his head so that there was little space between them. "My question is if you all know that, then why rush head long into situations that risk resulting in the deaths of one of your own? Why engage in combat if every human knows that death is a prominent possibility?" he asked.

Alexis looked down to the ground so she could think of a reasonable answer without him distracting her too much. This sudden proximity was not helping at all. "Maybe… and I'm not an expert or someone to rely on," she half-whispered, "maybe humans act that way because they always believe there is something to defend or fight for, may it be a cause or their home country."

"In that case, what do you fight for now?" he asked, smirking slightly. "Better yet, what led you to join your own military?"

Alexis continued staring at the floor, trying to remember her thinking process when she applied to the AETC several years ago. Failing in that, she formulated her answer for the first question. "I fight for the safety of the nation, a safety that you are currently threatening," she said, pushing him away from her. He only yielded to humor her, but then entrapped her a few seconds later. Now she knew he was irritating her on purpose. "As your captain, I am ordering you now to back off," she said, keeping her temper under control.

"If you remember correctly, I do not usually listen to my commanders," he reminded her.

"How about you move now and I might overlook this disobedience?" she asked, reaching out to push him away harder this time. Instead, he caught her wrist but did not twist it into an awkward angle this time.

"What's my incentive?" he asked, leaning in close again so that their foreheads were almost touching.

"Aww you guys look _so_ adorable together!" Ari gushed, appearing out of nowhere right behind Starscream. Starscream released Alexis's wrist and stepped back as though she had unexpectedly burned him. Ari fluttered in between them and grinned in a knowing way at Alexis. "How long have you two been going out?" she asked excitedly as Alexis gently pushed her aside. "Come on Alexis! He was practically about to kiss yo…" she began but her voice was muffled when Alexis put a hand on it.

"Calm down Ari," she said, calming her friend down by speaking softly. Ari just reminded Alexis of an overeager child. "Stryker and I were having another… intense discussion about how to carry out the operation so that there is less chance of a mess-up," she quietly explained as the two women walked towards their jets, which were coincidentally side-by-side.

Ari shook her head, her eyes still shining with excitement. "I bet you ten bucks, that if I hadn't given in to my impulse to butt in, you would be kissing him in seconds," Ari said, smirking. "I don't care what the hell either of you say, but it's obvious that he at least likes you a lot. Why else would you two be constantly together?"

"Maybe because General Stanton told us to work together? Besides, fraternization through the ranks is not permitted," Alexis said while stopping by the ladder that would lead up into the cockpit above.

"That's why he's being all cranky around you sometimes," Ari suggested. She began to walk away, but paused suddenly in her tracks. She turned on one heel and said, "Ever occur to you guys that you probably don't have to follow that particular order from the general anymore?"

Alexis shrugged, and watched as Ari turned around again to walk back to her jet. Shaking their conversation out of her head, she climbed the ladder up onto the wing, and carefully slid into the cockpit. As the hatch closed, she slipped the headset on, and flicked to the squadron frequency. She could hear all transmissions, including the heated argument between Tobias and Riley. The argument was not about their last visit, as she had feared, but more of a trivial nature. She took that as a sign of a truce between the pair.

She directed her jet out the hangar doors and was lining up on the runway to take off, the others behind her. "_**Captain, you're clear for take-off. Good luck,"**_ the tower controller, a longtime officer named Henry Mareski, informed her.

"Thank you sir," she replied, and then cut the link. She concentrated on taking off, easily avoiding a flock of birds that had appeared out of nowhere. She adjusted the controls to alter her flight path, praying that she could contact _Air Force One_ before they jumped to the wrong conclusion, which was possible since she could hear Ari and Tyler bickering over the link. Starscream was quiet as usual, Tobias was guiding Marty along, and Marcia and Riley were musing over what would happen once they arrived to DC. Alexis would be the highest ranked officer present, only because there was no way either Keller or Thayer could arrive to Washington anytime soon. The other pilots were mainly quiet or chatting calmly with their flight partners.

"All right," she said into the 401st frequency. "Everyone knows the drill. Keep an eye for threats to the plane, and engage if necessary. I will announce ourselves to the pilots of the presidential plane, and then relay any further orders." When everyone had acknowledged to having received the orders, she switched frequencies to the public one.

_Air Force One_ first appeared as an oblong blue and white mark against the sky, but soon became more recognizable as they came closer. Alexis wasn't too worried about the security teams reacting to the squadron's arrival; not only were they expected, but the transponders embedded in the circuitry would identify them as allies on the radar of _Air Force One. _ As the rest of the squadron broke into groups of four, Alexis hailed the pilots of the Boeing 747.

"_**You have an exceptionally well trained squadron Captain. Normally we have to dole out instructions,"**_ one of the pilots said as a greeting to the hail. "_**We want two groups on either side, one behind, and two fliers below, two fliers above,"**_ he instructed. "_**We're not taking any chances with this trip, especially with the recent failed attempts on the president's life. It was extremely risky bringing the president back out here without an escort, but we'll feel better if there was someone around this time."**_

"We are honored to escort the president home," Alexis assured him, and then switched back to the 401st frequency. "Okay, Perkins and Robinson, you two are to fly underneath the plane… just make sure no one tries to attack from underneath. Parker and Jenson, you two cover the top," she ordered, and glanced out the cockpit window to see the four pilots complying with her orders. "One group of four is to cover the rear, the right side, and the left." She gently guided the jet to the left side of the presidential plane, keeping herself between Starscream and the plane itself. Ari took point in their group of four while Tyler fell back to keep guard on the rear.

"_**Wow, I just realized that this going to be a long flight. Does anyone think something is going to happen?"**_ Ari suddenly asked as though the thought had just occurred to her.

Alexis switched to Ari's freq and answered, "I hope nothing significant happens. Let's try to keep the chatter to a minimum okay? We all need to focus… like Riley said, this is something that doesn't happen every day. Think you can handle that?"

"_**Yeah…**_" Ari muttered, but the rest of her grumblings were silenced as Alexis switched off the frequency between them, but kept the team link open in case something up. The other pilots had ceased chatting about trivial matters, and only spoke when something of note came up. That in its self was a rare case, so all in all there was not much conversation between pilots.

Alexis occasionally switched from team frequency and the link with _Air Force One_, determined not to botch this job. She glanced out the cockpit window from time to time, a few times at Starscream, and once at the Boeing 747. Alexis had laughed softly at the sight of the president's English foxhound pressing its nose against the glass of one of the plane windows, its breath fogging up a small patch of glass. Then she had refocused her attention on keeping the F-22 in sync with its compatriots and the leading Boeing 747. The skies ahead were clear as usual… it seemed improbable of any attack coming in the air.

_But there will be one on land,_ she remembered with a jolt. She never knew if Crowley had been able to get through to Lynch and plant the idea of the president exposing Sector Seven in all kinds of ways in Lynch's head in hopes that Lynch would do something irrational and risky. It was for that reason that she never said anything when recounting the story to the other personnel earlier that day. She glanced at the cockpit of _Air Force One_, feeling a tug of guilt for the secret she was deliberately withholding from the president's security team. A secret that the entire squadron would soon know but the pilots of _Air Force One_ would possibly never know.

Alexis made a mental note to write down every little crime she'd committed while on duty in a journal or something once this all blew over. If she didn't, her conscience would continue to tear itself to shreds as she agonized over every little error that could have been prevented. Working in Stanton's operations required a pilot, or soldier for that matter, to have their wits about them and a strong conscience.

Unbeknownst to her, the sun had been altering its angle in the sky, inflicting light into places that had previously enjoyed the shade. Alexis swore as the sun reflected off of a shiny silver surface to her left, temporarily blinding her in that eye. She adjusted her helmet a bit as she blinked, trying to get rid of the spots that were appearing in the left side of her field of vision. Irritated, she switched to Starscream's frequency, wondering what she had done to provoke him into doing that on purpose. She glanced out the cockpit window at him for that split second, and something caught her eye. Alexis swore that there was something metallic… and _alive_ was knocking around in his cockpit.

She couldn't wait for his explanation on that.

"_**What?"**_ he spat out when the link connected. "_**What is the tragedy now?"**_

Alexis didn't beat around the bush. "What the hell is going on in your cockpit? Whatever it is, it almost blinded me," she snapped back, not in the mood for his smart attitude.

There was a series of bells and half-screeching, half-whistling sounds, and Alexis realized that he was speaking in his native language to someone other than her. There was a loud rattling sound on the other end, and his tone became more irritated and insistent. The rattling got louder, and Alexis rolled her eyes yet silently applauded whoever was making Starscream cross at the moment. He had been asking for it for a while now.

Alexis listened as his tone turned in a more threatening direction, and mused that he must've forgotten to cut the link first before threatening. Miraculously however, the rattling on his end stopped, and she saw the metallic object in his cockpit slowly sink below the window and out of sight. Finally, Starscream returned to her. _**"Could you repeat that captain? I was a little distracted,**_" he answered smoothly back over the link.

"I saw something in your cockpit. What was it?" Alexis demanded.

"_**My hologram,**_" Starscream replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. He gave out a snarl of frustration and snapped, "_**This is torture, having to **_**protect**_** the very being I swore to destroy."**_

"Then why don't you go for it? Sure the rest of us are going to pounce on you the second you turn a weapon in the direction of that plane, but I estimate you could get a few shots in before we disable you," Alexis suggested, knowing that she was treading very close to treason for even suggesting it. "The president isn't going anywhere off that plane anytime soon."

"_**There's no fun or sport in simply targeting him now. I like hunting my prey, not waiting for them to walk to me because of their own stupidity."**_ he complained. "_**That takes out the thrill of the hunt, the danger of the risks…**_"

"_Somebody_ liked living the fast life," Alexis interrupted sarcastically. "So let me hypothesize a little. At first, in this great war of yours, there were plenty of targets to choose from. But, as time and war wore on, the pickings got slimmer and slimmer until you were pursuing them across the stars. Then you came across Earth and found a whole planet-full of scapegoats to vent your anger on."

"_**That was actually an unseen bonus. I came here with full intentions of ah, acquiring a certain object that could rebuild my homeworld. But a member of your pathetic race not only killed my former leader, but destroyed that object as well. So in other words, I'm here now to cause a disturbance amongst the civilizations that live here and use the confusion to attain certain goals, and no, I'm not telling you what those are,"**_ Starscream explained.

Alexis didn't answer that. "Well, good luck with that," she said. "In the meantime, you can be prepared for a potential ambush when we land. Crowley possibly set something up that would cause a human to attack the president as soon as the president is exposed. You can direct your anger at the human for stealing your opportunity just because you let it slip by. Then, assuming if you go for the next man in line, I will rat you out to Keller," she said in a sweet tone.

"_**Then I am going to assume that you are prepared to run for the rest of your pathetic life. Wherever you go, be assured that I will find you,"**_ Starscream snapped back before cutting the link.

Alexis resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him in a childish manner, and instead connected through to Ari. "Ari, be prepared for a potential severe problem when we land," she warned.

"_**I am going to assume that this is a hush-hush matter when the Secret Service is concerned. Don't tell Tyler… he'll squeal at the first chance he gets!"**_ Ari warned. _**"I'll alert the others… just keep the **_**Air Force One**_** pilots distracted or something… unless you want to spread the message."**_

"I will. I think however, that Starscream wouldn't mind hearing some advice," Alexis suggested, knowing that Ari would keep Starscream sufficiently distracted from plotting to kill the president. Being a super-intelligent alien apparently meant that flying was just as second nature to him as breathing was to her. Starscream himself may be flying, but his mind was free to plot or think or whatever he thought about in his spare time. In order to prevent another disaster from formulating his mind, something else had to divert his attention. Something like Ari's constant yapping in his ear. Alexis felt confident enough of Ari's piloting skills to know that her friend could maintain something of a decent conversation while keeping the jet straight. She also knew that _all _pilots had to remain one hundred percent focused on the job, but she let this one slide. Ari was keeping the president safe after all by keeping a potential assassin distracted.

Alexis then carefully relayed the warning about the ambush to each pilot, keeping an eye on the cockpit of _Air Force One_. Any deviation the current flight path was her warning that they had caught on to Crowley's plan.

"_**You realize we could all get into a ton of trouble for deliberately placing the president in danger, although you could use the excuse that you were under orders to deliver that warning,"**_ Tobias warned her after she told him of the plan. He was the last one to be informed of the plan, and was the only one who objected. "_**I am ready to bet that there will be someone ready to tuck tail and run as soon as they are implicated.**_

"Then I'll do as the general did two years ago and assume full responsibility for the incident and keep any unknown parties from being exposed," she replied.

"_**That will drive the jury crazy for sure, especially when they suspect that you are hiding someone else. In order to avoid lying under oath, Stanton chose to not answer the question at all when they asked her if she had any other accomplices."**_ Tobias reminded her. She heard him sigh, and then he said, "_**Are you counting on the fact that General Stanton will come to bail you all out?"**_

Damn… she'd almost forgotten that Stanton's death was an exclusive secret. She sucked in air between her teeth, and then lied, "Yeah, she wouldn't ditch us like that. You of all people should know that." She was careful about the discreet reference to the lecture he had probably received for starting the fight when the 401st were still training to work together.

"_**Will she be joining us in Washington DC?"**_

"Yes. It may take her a while though… she was talking about sneaking into the capital so she probably won't be taking an Air Force plane or something… maybe a public airline," Alexis answered, trying to keep the lie short and sweet.

Tobias was apparently comfortable with her answer, because she heard the click as he signed off. She settled back into her seat and checked the controls and their current flight path. They would arrive in two hours if they kept this steady pace up and nothing threatened the peace. She looked out the cockpit window to find that the sky had darkened slightly with the passage of time. The eastern sky was a pale purple, which slowly melded into yellow towards the west. Alexis adjusted the instruments so she could check behind her for the condition of the other pilots. She found that the sky itself soon melted into red, ringing the setting sun in a blanket of red. The bright color splayed across the sky, tendrils snaking forward like fingers. Alexis didn't know why, but the image reminded her of spilled blood stretching across the sky.

She shivered. That couldn't be good.

The team frequency was left open, but no one spoke for the remainder of the flight. Even Ari was quiet, having exhausted her reservoir of interesting but pointless facts on Starscream for the last half-hour or so. Tyler, who usually had a choice thing to say or two, was silent, and Alexis hoped that he wasn't dwelling from the interrogation from earlier that morning. She would personally flay Crowley if it turned out that the interrogation had hurt Tyler more than what had originally been intended. Actually, she was going to flay Crowley for even arresting Tyler in the first place. Crowley could have selected Rad to go first, and, if Rad proved to be innocent, then Crowley could have gone to get Tyler. There had been no need to take both men at the same time.

The sky was a navy color when they finally came into view of the runway strip of Andrews Air Force base. Like ducklings following the mother duck, the squadron remained in their current position as the Boeing 747 carefully began its own descent to the runway. The F-22 pilots had the sense however to allow the bigger plane space to land safely without risk of a collision. Perkins and Robinson had moved out from underneath as soon as _Air Force One_ announced the intention to land, the pair above pulled back to fall behind the rear guard. _Air Force One_ shed her guards as soon as she touched the ground, but the F-22s, with some tricky maneuvering, were able to land on conjoining runways. Forewarned of danger, the pilots managed to sneak their way onto the large expanse of cement where _Air Force One_ had come to a complete stop. Alexis realized that this was supposed to be a secret arrival, for only the president's vehicle was waiting near the Boeing 747's resting place. There were no crowds of media or curious onlookers pushing for a look, only a group of Secret Service and military officials, as well as a few soldiers.

Alexis cut the F-22's engines, and popped the hatch. She took her helmet off and placed it into the seat beside her, and then looked at the others. Only a few were getting out, their job to maintain the illusion that all was well. Those who stayed in the jets she could see were warily scanning the area, waiting for the attack to begin. The military officials, mentally dismissing the pilots' behavior, walked forward with the on-ground staff, which was pushing the white stairs to the plane's entrance. The vehicle driver pulled the armored car up so that the president would not have to walk far between the two protected shelters.

Alexis carefully jumped down to the ground lightly, and saw that a few others had done so as well. Riley was watching the president, Marcia was scanning the surrounding area, and Ari was watching the security surrounding the president. A couple of others, who Alexis couldn't identify because of the rapidly fading light, were looking around

"It's too quiet," Starscream quietly observed, appearing at her shoulder. Alexis jumped slightly at his sudden appearance, but she didn't answer him.

"What do you mean 'it's too quiet'? It is almost nighttime… although I think we could all just be hyped up," Alexis said, glancing around the perimeter. It seemed secure enough… she could see a few men in the distance patrolling the perimeter on the top of the wall that ensconced Andrews. She could only see the outlines of the long rifles they were wielding, but felt a little better that there at least some strict measure of security at the place. She glanced at Starscream, but he was no longer looking at her. In fact, he was staring off at a fixated point in the distance, his posture tensing as the minutes ticked by.

"Well, I guess the bad guys are a no show. No harm done," Ari remarked to Riley, who nodded in agreement.

Alexis swore as Starscream suddenly gripped her shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin. "What the hell is your problem?" she asked, turning her attention away from Riley and Ari. She was in no mood for his games at the moment.

He didn't answer right away. "Get down!" he suddenly roared out loud, shoving her straight to the ground. She was able to put her hands out to stop her fall, and managed to stifle a shriek as the bullet whizzed above her head, showering sparks as it struck the metal surface of the F-22 behind her.

That was when all hell broke loose.

-----------------

A/N: The chapter title is 'Red Sky' in Latin


	34. Ambush

Chapter Thirty-Four 

Ambush

Alexis flinched as the second gunshot echoed through the area, closely accompanied by the sound of shattering glass from above. She swore and covered her head with her arms as the glass showered down from the hatch window. Placing one hand over her eyes and one hand on the ground, she tried to shake the shards from her hair. The attempt half-worked; a few more shards fell out while a few others only became more entangled in her hair. She only stopped when a third shot rang out, beginning the barrage of staccato gunfire. Instinctively, she ducked down so that she was flat on her stomach again before risking a look around. Starscream's hologram was gone, and she could see the pilots who had climbed out had taken cover behind the landing gear and were waiting for a small pause in the crossfire to get a chance to get back in and use their jet weaponry. She glanced to her left and saw that Starscream was concentrating his fire in a certain direction, and realized that his sensors, which were more superior to human technology, could pick up on the snipers when the others couldn't. The trick now was to somehow catch the attention of the others in the squadron and direct them to copy Starscream.

Crawling on her belly across the asphalt, Alexis moved behind the jet. She used the landing gear to pull herself up, and flinched as another bullet shot past her shoulder. She decided to stay out of view of the snipers, but leaned forward to get a better look around so she could make a quick assessment of the situation.

The president was safe for now. A Secret Service agent had exited the plane before him, so the agent had shoved the president back into the plane for safety as soon as the first shot had been fired. Unfortunately, the agent hadn't gotten out of the line of fire soon enough, and was now sprawled on the first top steps of the metal staircase, the door to the plane closed behind him. Alexis's gut twisted uncomfortably when she looked down from the staircase to see Riley lying eagle-spread on the cement, unmoving. She could not tell if he was either dead or grievously injured. Marcia was on the safe side of the F-22, climbing up for the cockpit. She caught Alexis's eye, and Alexis gestured in the direction Starscream was firing in. Marcia nodded grimly before slipping into the cockpit. Alexis looked for Ari next. Her friend was kneeling on the safe side, a long semi-familiar weapon in hand. Alexis guessed that Ari had swiped the weapon from one of the soldiers who had also taken cover. Their small handguns were going to get them nowhere. Tyler had already taken the initiative and was copying Starscream since he really had no other idea where else to fire. The others she couldn't see… they had slipped out of the base's floodlights and were using the darkness as a cover, but she suspected that they were either waiting the confrontation out or were risking

_Ziiinngg!_

Alexis jerked back and pressed herself to avoid getting hit from the wayward bullet. If she wasn't careful, she was going to get killed for sure. She knew she had to get to a F-22 radio to alert the others, but her cockpit was probably covered in glass. Which meant…

She shook her head, and stowed the thought in the back of her head. She hesitated, and then yelled, "ARI!"

Her friend looked up sharply at the mention of her name. She flashed a thumbs-up to indicate that Alexis had most of her attention, and then refocused on the hidden enemy. Ari moved behind the landing gear to reload, and she glanced back at Alexis in that moment of rest. Alexis could see that her friend had a scrape on her face, but nothing life threatening. Careful to get the message correct the first time, Alexis made a few hand gestures and signs to indicate what she wanted, and Ari nodded grimly.

Alexis tensed, and then darted between the jets in Ari's direction. Ari attempted to provide covering fire for her, as well as she could with no visibility of the opponent. Ari grinned when Alexis sat down beside her. "Guess the bad guys wanted to be a show after all," she remarked as she finished loading the heavy weapon.

"No kidding," Alexis muttered, glancing around the landing gear. She gauged the distance between her and Riley's still form. "When did Riley go down?" she asked.

"Almost immediately. He was diving for cover when the third shot hit him, although where I didn't see," Ari said, carefully counting out the ammunition in an effort to conserve what little she had scrounged up.

"Yeah, the first two were for me," Alexis said. She glanced at her friend, and asked, "Will you help me with pulling him to cover? He's going to be heavy and I can't do it quickly all by myself."

"No way. You can't go out there… you'll get killed in seconds!" Ari said, startling Alexis with her vehement response. "You're in charge here, and I don't want you to get killed, the reason being that you're one of my closest friends," she said in a softer tone.

"I know. I could have made sure we all stayed within the jets and opened fire the second this began," Alexis hissed back.

"Your head would have been blown off by the second shot. I saw what happened to your hatch. Plus, it's not that I want Riley to die, I want him to make it, but it's just that, well…" Ari said, her sentence teetering off as she tread too close to an apparently sensitive subject.

"There's another reason you don't want me to do this and risk getting killed. Spit it out," Alexis said, inflicting her tone to make it sound as though it had more authority than it actually did – she was still badly shaken from the abrupt beginning of the confrontation.

Ari sighed, and then said, "Yeah there is another reason. If you die, then Davis assumes the command post, and no offense to him, but it seems to me that he has a few loose screws. When he fixates on a target or goal, it's like everything around him zones out, and he has only the end in sharp focus. He's kind of like the general like that, except she knew self-discipline and Davis, well, he's still kind of learning and has a long way to go." She glanced at Alexis and asked, "Could you do me a favor and not repeat that to him? In my opinion, he's a little touchy when it comes to artful… _critiques_ like that."

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to tell him that anyway," Alexis assured her, ducking with her as a few bullets whizzed overhead. "Listen, I think Davis picked up on something, and so I want you to fire in the direction he's firing at. Think you can handle that?"

"I can, but they don't know," Ari said, gesturing to the other F-22s with her weapon.

"I'll try to contact Davis and see if he'll let me use his radio," Alexis said. "In the meantime, try to rope one of the soldiers into helping you get Riley out of the crossfire… and that's an order." She had added the last part when she sensed that Ari was about to object to her words. Instead, Ari offered a small salute and turned around to continue firing.

Alexis was more careful as she darted between the F-22s before arriving to hers, and paused for a moment to catch her breath. Gritting her teeth, she waited another few seconds and then ran the short distance between her jet and Starscream, yelping as a bullet grazed the top of her shoulder. Ignoring the slight pain in her shoulder, she gripped Starscream's landing gear, and then carefully and slowly climbed to the top. When she climbed onto the wing, she flattened herself so that she would be less of a target. She crawled up to the hatch, and swore quietly when she found no panel that controlled the mechanism. Irritated, she rapped her knuckles against the glass, and ducked her head down as another bullet whizzed above.

Someone on her side didn't know how to shoot.

She jerked at the sound of crackling electricity. The whole battlefield was plunged into complete darkness, for the base's utility floodlights had been shot through. The gibbous moon overhead was now the only light and guide.

The hatch finally opened, and Alexis slipped in quickly before Starscream could change his mind. She winced as her feet hit something spindly, but she kicked it towards the ground to get it out of her way. There was a metallic clacking sound as it hit the ground, so Alexis crouched in the seat to avoid putting her feet on the ground. She accessed the radio and tapped into the 401st frequency. "Listen up guys. We're aiming at an awkward angle… aiming at your seven. Concentrate all fire in that direction!" she ordered as her hands unconsciously slipped to the weapons controls.

"What are you doing?" Starscream suddenly snapped, as though he had just realized that she was in there.

"Contacting everyone. If you haven't noticed yet, someone shot my hatch through," she said, tensing when she heard scuffling on the ground. "Do you ever stay clean? It sounds like you have rats in here."

Starscream made a sound of disgust and said, "I have observed that I am a lot more tidy than most of members of the human race, especially when it comes to assassinations."

Alexis palmed her forehead in irritation. "You know, there are humans who are a lot more _modest_ than you are," she snapped, and then used her back to knock the hatch up. It gave way, and Alexis carefully poked her head out to find a silent battlefield.

The staccato fire had been silenced, marking the end of one of the shortest and seemingly pointless ambushes in American history. The area was deathly silent, with not even the cries of the injured to break the silence. The moon revealed only odd shapes on the ground, and the small fire nearby did not betray any casualties. Flashlights were already on, scanning the grounds.

Alexis hoisted herself out of the cockpit and felt her way to an edge of the wing. Determined not to give Starscream the satisfaction of seeing her hurting herself in the dark, she carefully turned around so she slid on her stomach and was hanging slightly by holding the edge of the wing. Then she let go and leaned forward so that her hands would cushion the impact of landing. She stood up, and walked forward slowly, wary of tripping on a victim.

_Pop!_

Alexis flinched as the base's emergency backup floodlights flickered on. She stared around in wonder, for the area had become a place of death. Soldiers and a few Secret Service agents were scattered about, some in pain, others dead. The side of _Air Force One_ was scored with indentations from the bullets, and even from where she was standing Alexis could see that some bullets were still stuck in the plane's side. Alexis prayed that the president was safe. She turned slightly to watch as the base's doors opened, and to her surprise, several soldiers holding onto huge German Shepherds came out, the dogs straining against their leashes. The dogs were released, and they bounded away into the surrounding woods, no doubt going out to search for the snipers. Alexis watched as several army soldiers exited the base as well, coming to escort the president into the base itself. The leader was easy to identify; none of the others questioned the obvious authority of the one soldier that was slightly taller than the rest and leading the small group.

"Captain!"

Her head jerked when she heard Marcia's shout. Alexis darted over to them when she saw that Marcia was kneeling by Riley's side. True to her word, Ari at had somehow dragged him to the safety behind a nearby crate stack. Alexis knelt at his side and checked his vitals while Marcia ripped off a piece of her shirtsleeve to use as a makeshift rag. Alexis could hear the footsteps of approaching personnel from behind her and the faint baying of the dogs from the trees. She felt the slight brush as Ari and a few others crouched down around her, Marcia, and Riley.

A sudden rasping sound jerked Alexis's attention back to the form in front of her. Riley was as pale as death itself, and his eyes darted around from face to face but never focused on one particular object. The rasping sound was coming from his partially opened mouth, although Alexis didn't know whether Riley was having difficulty breathing or was trying to say something coherent. Marcia meanwhile was pressing the rag to his torso in an attempt to locate and staunch the bleeding. Riley's dark flight uniform made it difficult to see if there was even any visible blood.

"He was hit below the conjuncture of the rib cage," Starscream said, determining the injury before Marcia could. He managed to slip in between Ari and Alexis, and then said, "His condition is critical, possibly fatal, but there is a chance of survival if he receives immediate medical attention."

Alexis nodded and then took a breath to clear her head. "Ari," she said, looking around Starscream at her friend, "do a headcount and see if we lost anybody else." She turned to Tyler who was across Riley from her and said, "Ty, get an assessment of the situation." Tyler saluted and scampered off. "Toby, get a med team down here now," she said, looking briefly in Tobias's direction. He nodded and then left as well. To Starscream, she observed quietly, "I always thought you disliked Riley."

He shrugged. "He makes an interesting third act with Collins and Aliskevicz," he replied calmly, much to Alexis's irritation.

"Riley is conscious and breathing on his own, and that's what's important," Marcia murmured aloud, although whether it was for her benefit or Alexis's was unknown.

Approaching voices announced the arrival of medical care for Riley. The pilots stepped back to allow three members of the Andrews staff to get in closer and begin working on him. They first checked his vital signs, and then very carefully transferred Riley from the ground to the white stretcher they had brought with them. "He'll be treated inside… don't worry about him," the lead medic assured her, glancing at Riley on the stretcher.

"If it's possible, will you keep him in the infirmary until he is _perfectly_ healthy?" Alexis asked, knowing full well that Riley was not going to be in perfect health anytime soon. That was key because she didn't want a repeat of what had happened tonight, and she would never be able to let herself forget it if she indirectly killed another ally. She no longer had a fraction of control in the overall power game because the ambush that night proved that the game was now in the hands of unknown players who were more deadly and influential than she was.

"Captain, we should go now," Marcia whispered softly as Riley was carried away. "They're offering quarters here in Andrews so we don't have to go all the way to the barracks in the capital."

"Ma'am?" Ari said, coming back from her assignment. "Everyone excluding Riley is present and accounted for. A few of the others have a couple of cuts and scrapes, but should be fine." She offered a salute when Alexis looked up at her.

"Thanks. What did you get Tyler?" Alexis asked as Tyler appeared behind Ari, fidgeting as usual.

He cleared his throat, visibly puffed up, and said in a solemn tone, "According to a few security officers, two security patrols were killed seconds prior to the attack, effectively silencing any alarms. A few Secret Service agents are down, but the president is alive yet shaken. A few army squads have been sent out with dogs to search for the snipers, but nothing has been found yet. A squad was dispatched to ensure the well being of the First Family, but they have not reported back in yet. Finally, no one knows why the attack was so brief." Then Tyler straightened with the satisfaction of a job well done.

"It was probably brief because they didn't want to give us a chance to summon reinforcements and then beat them. It was imperative for them to win for some reason," Marcia said.

"Which tells us that they either didn't have adequate forces to have their own reinforcements, or they had another group waiting to open another war front and this attack was just a feint," Alexis pointed out. "Maybe they don't want the president like we all assumed."

"I thought you said that Crowley set the ambush up by feeding them false information and presenting the president as a target," Marcia said, lowering her voice so the group of army soldiers behind her couldn't hear her.

"This is Crowley we're talking about," Andrew reminded them, appearing at Starscream's side. "He could've changed the parameters and didn't get a chance to tell us."

"I don't know or care about you guys, but I'm getting a splitting headache from listening to these conspiracy rumors," Ari finally snapped. She walked away and vanished into the dark, but turned around and came back almost immediately. "Okay I have no idea where I'm going. Someone point me in the correct direction," she said in a mournful tone, head hanging and wearing a pitiful expression.

"Come on," Alexis said, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders. The small group of weary fliers slowly made their way to the safety and security within the walls of Andrews. As the adrenaline died down, the exhaustion came up on them all.

Alexis knew that Andrews served as home to another squadron within the Air Force, the 318th squadron, as well as the field headquarters of the United States Air Force. The commanding officer who was in charge here was a somewhat arrogant man named Lieutenant General Luther Farthingale. She was only familiar with him because he had made Stanton's enemy list a few years prior to Oroville when the two leaders had descended into a 'squabble' over the assignments of a few new airmen. The media never saw this sort of thing, because as far as the public was concerned, Stanton and Farthingdale were the best of friends. But when the doors closed to the cameras, the verbal arguments broke out. The secretary of defense before Keller ended up assigning Stanton to the western side of the country, Farthingale to the eastern just to keep them apart.

The arrangement had worked out for everybody in the end.

A few members of the 318th were waiting just inside to help them in. Ari perked up a bit at the thought of food and a hot shower. The pilots dispersed amongst them, and Alexis was approached by the 318th captain, a battle-hardened veteran who wore his experiences on his self in the forms of scars and small cosmetic repairs on his fatigues.

"Your response time was pretty remarkable after a long flight," he said when Alexis paused in front of him. His kind eyes met hers. "You and your team are welcome here for as long as necessary," he assured her. "Who is your commanding officer?"

"General Stanton, but she isn't here yet, and probably won't come here when she finds that General Farthingale is here… no offense," Alexis replied. At least she found a legitimate reason for Stanton's no-show to Andrews.

The captain smiled. "It's all right. All should be done in the interest of keeping the peace here," he said. "But Farthingdale has been calm these last few weeks, so even if Stanton were to arrive, she would find him in a complacent and cooperative mood." He glanced past her, and then said, "You should probably get that glass removed… before you hurt yourself further."

"Thanks for the reminder," Alexis said, keeping her tone pleasant. She saluted before walking towards the medical wing. Glass in her hair seemed so trivial when Riley was in critical condition.

She was standing off to the side when Starscream finally approached her, seemingly calm for once. "Did you get some of your extra energy out in that fight?" she asked, carefully pulling her hair out of its bun and allowing it to fall loose. She winced, as there was a faint clinking sound as a few more glass pieces fell out.

"Yes. I believe that I will be more… _tolerable_ of my surroundings now," he said, watching her. He frowned and then asked "You do realize that your own hands will risk small lacerations if you pull the shards out yourself correct?"

"The medics have something more serious to deal with Riley, so I think I'll live with cut hands," she replied, and then brought a shard around so she could untangle it from her hair. Starscream watched silently as she finished up by running her fingers through her hair slowly to feel for any more pieces.

"It's clean," Starscream finally assured her, somewhat impatient since she was ignoring him throughout the entire process. He glanced off to the side, and said, "Is there a problem Aliskevicz or are you here to continue being your annoying self?"

"Actually, I came to tell you that there is a prime eavesdropping opportunity. The president is in a conference room with General Farthingale and a bunch of other VIPs," Ari said, pausing on the staircase. She raised an eyebrow, and said, "You know Stryker I've always thought you would enjoy eavesdropping. Anyway, the room happens to be lined with grates at the top, and Teo says they're great for eavesdropping because the grates are at the bottom of the floor on the level above the conference room."

"Teo?" Alexis asked.

Ari shrugged. "He's one of the 318th pilots here," she said.

"Let me guess, you want to listen in, but don't want to feel guilty about it," Alexis asked, a half-smile forming on her face.

"It could be critical," Tobias said, appearing from behind Starscream. "You never know when someone is plotting to take you out or do something discreet and dangerous behind your back."

Alexis smirked slightly and said, "Trust me Tobias. I do usually know when someone is plotting to take me out and when someone is doing something discreet or dangerous behind my back. I know because the person in question is becoming somewhat predictable."

Tobias allowed his left hand to drop to his side, and then he discreetly pointed at Starscream, who was the sole object of Ari's attention at the moment. Alexis gave a barely perceptible nod, but smiled when Starscream reverted his attention back to her. "Eavesdropping isn't right… maybe we should leave them alone," she finally said.

Ari raised an eyebrow, and then said, "It might interest you that they mentioned something about Stanton when they were walking in."

That was definitely worth listening to, although the guilt would claw at her stomach later. "Fine," she said, throwing her hands up in surrender. "We will only listen long enough to find out what they want with Stanton, and then we leave."

"We should call her at least, if they're planning something nasty," Tobias said, hesitation evident in his voice.

"I'll handle that," Alexis said. She didn't know where the general's cell phone was, but it wouldn't do them any good if Tobias dialed the number only to find an investigator on the other end. The secret of the general's death had to stay within the squadron… if word ever got out that she was dead, then her enemies would immediately move in on Stanton's unprotected allies and anyone who had been seen to be on good terms with her. Simmons especially would take advantage of the opportunity presented to him, and maybe take over the operations from within Area 51 and only become deadly again.

The three of them walked behind Ari as she led them to the earlier mentioned grates in the floor. When they got there, Tobias pulled on Starscream's sleeve, saying, "We'll let them do the eavesdropping and we'll stand guard… less questions that way. Plus, I don't think any of the 318th guys will take Ari seriously if she told them to beat it."

Alexis didn't hear Starscream's response because she was getting down onto her belly. Ari crawled up so that she could lean her face against the grate, and Alexis tilted her head so that she could listen yet see at the same time.

The president was one among five men in the room. His companions were the vice president, Secretary of State Julius Anderson, the secretary's traveling companion, and General Farthingale. Alexis suspected that the first three had been aboard _Air Force One,_ aiding the president in reassuring the American public in the Southwest. A snuffling sound in the corner revealed that president's English foxhound had followed his master into the room, and was now resting in the corner. Aerial travel apparently did not suit the canine.

"I assure you Mr. President, we do not know who perpetrated these attacks or where they came from," Farthingale said, his posture still rigid from receiving the shocking news of the attack over his dinner. "But we will find these terrorists." The general frowned, and then asked, "Do you think it was those terrorists from Mission City?"

"No," Anderson cut in. "We spoke with a small group that apparently has been fighting the Mission City terrorists for centuries, and judging from what they said, those terrorists would not have stopped until _Air Force One_ was nothing but a huge crumpled can on the landing strip. These attackers abruptly started and stopped. Not their style at all."

Alexis swore she heard a soft growl of irritation from Starscream.

There was the sound of the door knocking, and a man entered. "Sir, we are receiving a transmission via VidScreen, and they refuse to talk to anyone but the president. They say it's national-level important," the man reported, staring only at Farthingale.

"Patch it through," the president ordered. "The contact will have to tolerate speaking to us all."

"Yes sir!" the man replied, and then vanished.

"Movie time," Ari whispered excitedly as the screen in the room flicked on, snowy images dominating the screen. Alexis turned her head so she could see the screen better.

Finally the image changed to one of a man sitting in an armchair. He smirked as the president stared at him in surprise and curiosity. Alexis decided that this was truly Ross Lynch's proudest moment, having shown the president that a lowly businessman could be a threat to national security. Lynch didn't delay. "I see you all are all right," he said, voice laced with thick sarcasm. "In case you didn't know me Mr. President, my name is Ross Lynch, and I worked for Sector Seven as Simmons's left hand man. So naturally I was a little upset when I lost my job after the terrorist attacks."

"Sector Seven had to be shut down. Not only were they arresting people and seizing properties without court orders, but they had violated the privacy and rights of our esteemed guests…" Anderson began.

"I'm not afraid of you guys anymore. Took me five lives to get over that fear," Lynch said, interrupting the secretary of state. "I sent you five warnings, but you ignored them all."

"What kind of warnings?" Farthingale asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Lynch smiled slightly. "Warnings to the president showing that he wasn't safe and that his 'esteemed guests' can't really protect him. Took out one Air Force general, one Navy commander, one Army colonel, one politician, and one Joint Chief of Staff," he said, listing them off with his fingers. "The Chief of Staff was the easiest actually. The soldiers can protect him from physical threats, but not the hidden ones." He leaned forward and said, "Think you can stop me Mr. President?"

Alexis froze, remembering back to earlier that morning. Thayer had been unable to attend the interrogation because he had been sick with a cold or flu. A poisoning could easily pass off as illness, especially when the victim had been traveling on an airplane, where viruses flew around the enclosed cabin…

The president was not easily fazed. "Stop being so ridiculous Lynch. Come to the Pentagon where you and I can speak like the civilized humans we are. We'll work out a compromise, and then everyone can go home happy," he said.

"Hell no. I worked too hard and risked too much to get this far," Lynch snapped. "I have to be somewhere soon, so let me make this simple and sweet. My demands are as follows; one, I want those damn Autobots to removed _completely_ from American soil. They only attract Decepticons here, and those psychos only bring destruction."

"Call it 'artful redecoration of your precious cities' if you're so offended by the word 'destruction'," Starscream muttered sarcastically, and Alexis wished she could kick him hard in the ankles for that unnecessary comment.

"Two," Lynch continued, "the issue of Mission City stays here in the United States and never goes to the U.N. summit. Three, there is never to be any arrests or investigations into Sector Seven or Mission City. Four, you allow Sector Seven to reform under government protection. We would only be attentive of the interests of public safety when concerning these Autobots. Finally, I want you specifically to pay for my agent's medical bill."

Anderson snorted at the last demand, and the president refrained from smiling. "Mr. Lynch, you can't make demands like that without proper bargaining chips," he said. "Out of curiosity, why do you need the medical bills?"

"Because your damn Secret Service shot Marley when he was stealing our bargaining chip," Lynch said, gesturing for the cameraman to turn to a spot behind him. The camera turned to focus on a hobbling Sector Seven agent holding the small shoulder of young Samara, the president's youngest and sickly daughter. The child seemed somewhat unaware that she was a hostage, and waved shakily at the camera.

"We told her she was on a TV show where the main character would have to come save her, but we both know that she isn't going anywhere anytime soon," Lynch said as the camera focused back on him. "Now, you have exactly seventy-two hours starting at midnight to either completely reject or accept my demands. If you accept them, we will leave little Sam on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. If not… well, let's hope we don't go that route."

The president had paled significantly. Alexis now knew that the ambush had been a feint, to get the security fussing over the president rather than his family. "If they hadn't come, you would still be fussing over a… metallic skeleton rather than handling the activated ones," the president finally said.

Lynch smiled. "But when the Autobots came, that's when our problems started," he observed.

"_DAMN IT, IF I HEAR THAT WORD…"_

Tobias jumped Ari before Alexis could and had one hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of her scream. He pulled her away from the grate and pulled her to her feet. Alexis scrambled away as well, and glared at Ari, who was struggling in Tobias's grip. "Do you want to give us away?" she snapped.

Ari pulled Tobias's hand down so she could speak. "No, but if I hear the word 'Autobot' _one_ more time without explanation, I am going to kill somebody, either with my bare hands or jet weaponry," Ari hissed.

"You can target Stryker later; he's already shown more than once he's capable of defending himself against threats bigger and more dangerous than a pilot running low on R&R," Tobias said, releasing her. He looked at Alexis and said, "Well, we're the only four outside of the administration there who know about this."

"It's going to stay that way too. Hear me Ari?" Alexis hissed. "That means no telling Tyler in your spare time."

"Yes ma'am," Ari muttered loud enough for Alexis to hear.

"Lynch's countdown starts in thirty minutes, so we should grab some shut-eye before making any radical decisions," Tobias said, and Alexis suspected that the wheels of thought were already turning in his head.

"Come on Ari," Alexis said, taking her friend from Tobias. "We won't know when we'll sleep again, so we might as well while we can," she assured her friend.

Starscream and Tobias watched as the two women left, and Starscream finally turned to Tobias. "What exactly do you have in mind?" he asked quietly.

Tobias grinned nastily and said, "Back at Edwards, Kingston and I would do a little extra work on the side at the base. If we play our cards right, I think we could turn the tables on Lynch and ambush him instead." He turned to Starscream and said, "Do you think you could butter the captain up so she's not so opposed to a potential invasion of private property against a conniving enemy?"

"Possibly."

Tobias nodded. "All right, come with me. Let's see what we can scrounge up in the communications room," he said, and both men were careful that there were no eyewitnesses as they headed away from the residential quarters to a more restricted part of the base.

------------------

A/N: I am proud to announce that I think that I finally worked out the glitches on my profile, so that should be fixed. Finally, I am going to say that there was a reference to Halo in Chapter 27, but I think it was probably too brief. I waited this long to mention it because I was just waiting for someone to catch it, but it's there. Also, I can probably get in one more chapter before exams, but don't worry if Ch. 35 doesn't appear for a while... I'll try, but no promises.


	35. Recruitment

Chapter Thirty-Five

Recruitment

If Starscream had never appeared in her life, alarm clocks would still be the bane of Alexis's existence. To her, it felt that just as she closed her eyes, the little device started beeping loud enough to wake up the entire capital city, not just the three women in the little room in Andrews Air Force base. Alexis had no memory of setting it, so she guessed that Marcia probably set it the night before.

Alexis raised her head, blinking her eyes while mentally preparing herself to shut the alarm off. A white oblong shape however beat her to the punch, falling down from the bunk above and knocking the clock clean off its little table. Above her, Ari made some rustling sounds as she settled back into bed now that the pillow muffled the beeps. Marcia had slept through the alarm, but Alexis was now awake. Unable to fall back asleep, she pulled the covers back and crawled out of bed. Careful not to wake up Ari or Marcia, she pulled on a pair of sneakers that she borrowed from a female member of the base staff. Then she pulled on a faded sweatshirt over her T-shirt, adjusted her sweatpants, and then quietly left the room.

Alexis wondered where Starscream and Tobias had wandered off too the previous night. Alexis used to think that Starscream and Stanton teaming up would be deadly, but she would never really know now. Tobias was slowly but surely climbing up in Starscream's scale of tolerance, if Starscream even had one. There was still a chance he hadn't heard Starscream's snide remark from the night before since he was distracted watching the hall for any intruders. She wasn't going to ask him if he heard or not.

She wasn't worried about Ari. Starscream could blow Ari's empty F-22 into the heavens and Ari would never notice and simply accept the explanation from the closest person. Ari only paid attention when she was either on duty or someone was shooting at her on land or in the air.

The halls of Andrews were quiet as she walked towards the exit. She suspected that the president would be returning home soon in order to deal with Lynch's ultimatum, but for now, all were at peace. She didn't see another soul, human or otherwise, as she finally reached the door and slipped outside.

The battleground looked messier in the growing daylight than it did the night before. Although crews had taken the jets under shelter the night before, there were still dark patches on the ground marking the final resting place of the deceased. The sky itself was gray and cloudy, promising rain. A breeze nipped at her exposed skin, and she shivered from the drop of temperature compared to the Nevada desert. The trees nearby stood as silent witnesses to the ambush that had happened the night before.

Sector Seven had not only made the next move, but had broken cover now. Alexis drew her arms around herself as she mentally reviewed the casualties of this venture so far. Stanton had been the first to go, and the two marks on her uniform had revealed that she had not died peacefully, but as a soldier in the line of duty. Randall had received the cheap shot when he was defenseless and caught unawares. She didn't know how Monica Wethersfield or Marcus Kowalski died, but knew that it had to have been more cheap shots since they should have been unable to defend themselves. Finally, a third assassin had slipped by Lennox and Ironhide and used the old-fashioned method of poisoning to kill Joseph Thayer. It actually made sense… Alexis guessed that Ironhide would have been preparing for an open firefight or some other detectable, technological means of killing the Chief of Staff.

Talk about a pride blow. A giant, trigger-happy alien couldn't catch an assassin who killed a human under its nose

Alexis turned to face _Air Force One._ In the flurry of the arrival to the base, someone apparently forgot to stow the turbo jet away in its hangar, someone, she guessed, who would be losing his job very soon for that little oversight. She could see the bullet holes in the side, but the bullets themselves had been removed for evidence. Someday, when Starscream grew tired of this charade, he would no doubt turn his weaponry on the presidential plane, now that he knew the significance. On top of that, he was in Washington now with no enemies forcing his hand. If he got bored of staying in Andrews all the time, he was at liberty to take an unwanted excursion to the Pentagon. Alexis didn't know how he would do it, but knew he would find a way.

He always found a way to do the impossible.

Alexis decided to go to find Mr. Keller today. Hopefully, he would know what to do about this issue of Starscream and the presidential hostage. She would go to someone at the Pentagon and ask for him if necessary. As a member of the armed forces, someone would have to take her seriously.

To keep her friend out of trouble while she was gone, Alexis was going to drag Ari along.

_Scuffle, scuffle._

Alexis's head snapped in the direction of the hangar doors, which were partially open. The scuffling sound could be heard indoors, and it sounded like a small animal. Alexis sighed, and walked towards the hangars. If it was a small but dangerous animal, she knew where Ari kept a small firearm on the F-22.

"Hello?" she called out, walking into the room. The scuffling stopped, and Alexis got a horrible sense of déjà vu. The silence reminded her of the time when Starscream had lunged out at her during their initial encounter. She also felt as though someone was watching her intently. She casually walked over to Ari's F-22, and used the nearby ladder to get to the cockpit. Rooting around, she found the firearm hidden away beside the seat. She pulled her sweatshirt sleeve down so the weapon and her hand were concealed, but did not look too much out of place.

"Ari, if this is a joke, it isn't funny," she snapped, pretending her anger in case there really was someone in there. Her words would tip them off that she was supposedly clueless about their presence, and would not realize that she was waiting for them to appear.

She carefully jumped down and pretended to stumble. "Damn, not again," she said aloud for the benefit for the listener. "Great. I have a busted ankle again, a sprained wrist, and who knows what else?" she said, keeping the pretense of an injured joint by limping a little. She hoped Starscream was in recharge… he would not really be amused by this show at this time of morning.

Alexis did not react as she heard scuffling again, getting closer to her position. If this creature proved to be as dangerous as Starscream, she would try to wake him up and risk his anger later. "If you don't stop Ari, I'm going to go steal your breakfast after I see a doctor," she said, hobbling towards the exit. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she heard what sounded like a snicker from behind her. Seeing that the stalker was falling for the horrible acting, Alexis assumed that it was either Tyler or someone just as gullible.

It was the soft hissing sound that tipped her off of the approaching threat. She turned on her heel and froze.

Ari was right. It was possible for the Lone Ranger to fast forward to the twenty-second century, and possibly receive the name 'Herman'. The metallic creature hissed angrily at her, reminding her of an angry cat. Two pinpricks of blue light were glaring at her, but creature's eyes really reminded Alexis slightly of eyestalks on a lobster. Guns were aimed directly at her gut, but the creature was hesitating for some unknown reason. It was approximately her height, but Alexis couldn't really guess because the creature was bent slightly in several places. Snarling incoherently, it began charging up its weaponry.

The pistol didn't need charging.

Alexis raised the firearm in warning, her sleeve falling back slightly. When the whirring of the weaponry only picked up the pace, Alexis reacted. She fired directly at the creature's face.

The creature moved faster than she could comprehend, and she dodged the volley that came from behind her. The creature began spitting furiously when it realized it had miscalculated her speed, and it became angry when it realized she had tricked him into believing that she was really injured.

Alexis tripped on some unseen cable as she attempted to scramble to her feet. The thing was now climbing all over the place, using the jets, wall decorations and utility poles as supports. Taking aim, she attempted to cut off a limb with a bullet, but failed miserably. Discs came from the creature's body, and she yelped when one of them cut her arm. She used the nearby landing gear to pull herself up, and swore when she realized that it was Starscream. She did not have time however to mull over her misfortune; another disc missed her head by centimeters and ran a slight gouge in the metallic body of the jet.

The creature let loose an ear-splitting howl of anger and frustration. Alexis ran underneath Starscream to the other side of him, which was the closest to the nearest exit. She heard scraping sounds as the creature clambered over Starscream in relentless pursuit. Alexis wasn't going to explain _that_ one to Starscream; it was his fault he was sitting in the creature's path, not hers.

A sudden weight landed on her back, and she screamed slightly as it threw her forward. She tucked her head in and turned the fall into a quick somersault that crushed the weight slightly, but also made it vanish completely. The gun skittered away, but she ignored it. As she stumbled away, Alexis turned around to see 'Herman' scrabbling on the metal floor, trying to get back up on his own. She used that time to make the rest of the distance to the door that would lead hopefully to the outside.

She got lucky.

A snarl behind her told her that the creature was on the move again, so she went out and slammed the door shut. Finding nothing useful to keep the door locked, she tried to press her full weight against it

It didn't work.

Alexis landed flat on her back as the metallic creature shot overhead. She tried to get back up, but the creature landed onto her torso, preventing her from getting up any further. She reacted by grabbing its 'wrist' and pushing the sharp metal away from her face. The creature snarled and worked against her to lower the weapon to aim between her eyes.

One moment she heard the whirring of gears behind her, the second she heard the creature make a pitiful whining sound as it looked up, third she heard a blast, and the fourth found her freed of the little monster. She slowly stood up, and could only stare in awe at the several metallic pieces that had been thrown back at least a hundred feet, and were inching about on their own.

A shadow crossed over her and she flinched as Starscream's bulk easily walked past her. He ignored as he stalked over to the little pieces and growled at the sight of the pieces. She backed away slightly as Starscream began speaking in his native language, and if his tone was anything to go by, he was angry. Then, ignoring the creature's squeaking protests, he turned around and towered over her. She hoped he wasn't about to start something… she owed him four times now, and it was going to come back to bite her later.

"Thanks… again," she muttered, slightly embarrassed that he had swooped in again.

Starscream grunted in acknowledgement as he turned again towards the squeaking and watched as the pieces pulled themselves together again. "He would not have stopped until you were dead and in pieces," he finally rumbled, tensing as the creature's head came close to its arms. "I wanted vengeance for him scratching me up as though I was nothing more than another piece of aerial equipment."

"A friend of yours you forgot to mention?" Alexis asked sarcastically.

"I meant to tell you after your leader's death that I had eyes and ears at your base and therefore did not have to worry about missing details while I was away," he reminded her, and growled warningly when one of the creature's hands strained for the head. More squeaking protests came from the little creature.

"What is it?" Alexis asked carefully.

Starscream made an expression close to one of disgust or irritation. "It's a nuisance named Frenzy," he said, eyeing the pieces again, cannon twitching. "I still have to keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble so he doesn't spoil everything I have worked for so far."

"Does that mean that Barricade is still on the loose?" Alexis asked, casting a glance up at Starscream.

Starscream just grunted in response, and then ambled back towards the hangar. She watched as he fluidly transformed back into his jet form, and then wheel back into the hangar. She looked back down at her scraped arm, and then pulled her sweatshirt off. She placed most of it onto the ground, gripped the torn sleeve, and pulled hard. She used the ripped sleeve as a makeshift tourniquet, but swore quietly as she struggled to get it on. It kept flipping around her arm, making it difficult to tie it in place.

"Here, let me help," Starscream said, his hologram appearing at her side. He frowned briefly, and then kicked something away. Alexis saw a flash of silver as one of Frenzy's pieces went skittering away on the cement. She looked back down as he carefully tied the ragged sleeve into place. "You need proper medical attention now," he finally said. He scowled at the metallic pieces that were still scattered around on the cement. "Frenzy has picked himself up in the past. Come on," he finally said, taking her arm in a gentle grip for once and half pulled, half-led her back to the base. She stopped only briefly

Alexis easily kept pace with him, although his sudden kindness was a mystery to her. They headed into the base, and Starscream calmly led her to one of the few common rooms of the base. Ari was the only other person in the room, carefully studying a book on game strategies, notably for games such as chess or checkers. Several plates of breakfast were scattered on a few tables with half-eaten meals on the tables. Starscream placed her in the armchair across from his and pulled an uneaten meal towards them and placed it on the little table beside her. She only picked at the food while Starscream somehow procured proper bandages and took the impromptu bandage off and began to fix on the proper ones.

"Medic too?" Alexis whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I am using your Internet," he answered.

"Internet's not one-hundred reliable."

He looked at her, his scarlet eyes softening slightly. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he whispered, leaning forward slightly. Alexis found herself leaning forward slightly as well, unsure yet slightly aware of what he was going to do. She tensed a bit when he placed his fingertips lightly on her cheek.

"Wait," she suddenly whispered, placing a hand between them. He scowled softly, but she quickly and quietly explained, "Unless you want to be mocked at for the rest of your time here, don't do anything like that around _her_." She pointed off to her left.

The two of them looked at Ari, who was peering at both of them from over the top of her book on checkers. "You guys suck," Ari grumbled, her eyes narrowing at the pair of them. "You're no fun either."

"Yeah, well, we're not your entertainment system either," Alexis said in a sweet voice. "You would tell half the people here in the base by lunchtime if we did do anything that looked remotely interesting."

Ari pretended to look offended. "Actually, it would be half of the four-oh-first by lunchtime, half of the base by dinner, and everybody by bedtime," she said, grinning slightly.

"What secrets do you keep?" Alexis asked.

"Now if I told you, they wouldn't be secrets now would they?" Ari asked, winking at her friend in a conspiratorial manner.

_Bang!_

Alexis flinched at the bang, and she, Starscream, and Ari looked up to see Tobias walking in, dragging Tyler by the ear and accompanied by a few soldiers from Andrews's army squads. Tobias threw a whimpering Tyler to the ground, and then slipped past the few soldiers to shut the common room door. Then he headed back to where Tyler was cowering on the floor and hauled him up by the collar this time.

"Tobias! What's going on?" Alexis demanded, twisting in her seat to properly face him.

"I don't know, why don't you tell her?" Tobias snapped, holding Tyler's collar up so that Tyler was half-dangling, half-standing. Tyler squeaked and quickly shook his head. Tobias let out an irritated sigh through his teeth and said, "Somebody told Tyler about what we talked about last night, and I caught him telling these guys." He gestured to the soldiers behind him, and then said, "Now they want in on the operation too."

"Wait, one thing at a time. Tyler, who told you?" Alexis demanded. Tyler didn't answer, but out of the corner of her eye Alexis saw Ari suddenly become interested in her book again. _Can't keep your mouth shut Ari can you?_ Alexis thought irritably, but let that mishap pass for now. There were more pressing matters at hand. "Okay, so you all know now. Now what's this about an operation? I didn't think we had anything planned."

"You didn't. I did," Tobias said, leaning back in his chair. He winked at Starscream, who nodded back, and Alexis could only wonder what the pair had between them. Tobias leaned forward and said, "My plan is simple. We storm the fortress and get the little lady, and get out before Lynch rolls out the heavy guns."

"You don't even know where he is," Alexis pointed out as Ari lowered the book, unable to hide her interest in the conversation any longer.

"On the contrary, Davis and I were able to pinpoint his exact location using GPS and an electronic world map. We were able to trace Lynch's call to a location outside the DC area at an old and unused army base. The place is armed to the teeth, and we think that Lynch was expecting some huge savage or unwanted guests but not both," Tobias explained, glancing at Starscream as though to confirm some details. "We're going to need _a lot_ of firepower to breach the outer defenses."

"You found this all out last night?" Alexis asked. "How did you find the time?"

"After Davis crashed and went to bed, I was too hyped up. I kept working to see what else I could dig up, and found that Lynch had a technological weapon in the works, one that uses our computer networks so that when one of these 'Autobots' tried to connect into our networks, _bam._ It's stuck with that thing until it suffers some sort of system crash. I don't know exactly how it works… I skipped that part in Lynch's video." He frowned, and then said, "I only told Ari we might be doing an operation, then she apparently told Tyler who babbled to these guys behind me."

"But I don't remember saying anything at all!" Tyler wailed.

"Tyler, I just caught you telling those guys everything two minutes ago!" Tobias snapped irritably. "Now the soldiers want in… they've got some kind of feud going on with Lynch." Alexis studied the group of five behind Tobias, and vaguely recognized the black facemask of the one in the front as one of the soldiers with the dogs the night before. Apparently they all had a thing for anonymity.

"Yeah, nothing like a war to bring up bad blood," Ari muttered. "Well, I'm in."

"Nothing's happening without the captain's say-so," Tobias reminded her. He turned to Alexis and said, "Captain, you know that the politicians are going to take the longest amount of time possible to decide. The president is torn between his daughter and the huge debt we apparently owe the 'Autobots'. In the meantime Lynch may or may not extend his deadline despite the fact he has the ultimate bargaining chip. During all this an eight-year old girl is going to be in some sort of hell for the time being. Do we really want to put her through that when we have the power to stop it?"

"Where are you going to find this necessary firepower?" Alexis asked disbelievingly.

"I don't know, maybe around the city somewhere, or, um, here at the base, I don't know yet I haven't figured it out that far," Tobias admitted. He raised an eyebrow and said, "How about a deal? I come up with the firepower, and then decide? I don't think Davis is the only one here anyway with the twitchy trigger finger." He gestured to the soldiers behind him.

"Either way it's going to wait," Alexis said, standing up. "After lunch, I'm going to Washington DC and see if Mr. Keller has arrived yet. If so, maybe we can get a more accurate analysis of the situation. If not, then I guess we could re-evaluate what we'll need and all that."

"Who is going with you?" Tobias asked curiously.

"Ari. Just to keep her out of trouble," Alexis said, checking the bandages on her arm.

"I drive!" Ari squealed.

Tobias looked at her and said, "I'm pretty sure there's a law in the books somewhere saying that if you have a history of attacking the presidential motorcade, you can't drive in the capital."

"_I'll_ drive then," Alexis snapped, leaving the room. After a moment's hesitation, the five soldiers left as well.

Tobias looked at Starscream and remarked thoughtfully, "Well, she didn't say no, and leaned more towards a 'yes'." Starscream simply nodded in response. Tobias finally sighed and said, "I might've forgot to mention to the captain that those five guys only were representatives of a bigger group. We're good on manpower, but efficient weaponry is going to be an issue. I suppose we could rope a few more F-22 pilots into helping us, but that's all I got so far. You?"

Starscream's face twitched into a small smile. "I think I know where we could get sufficient firepower," he said calmly.

True to her word, the moment Ari finished lunch, Alexis dragged her down to where the civilian vehicles were. General Farthingale was more or less aware of their travel plans; Tobias said he would alert the general to their departure and tell him that they would be back before nightfall, and were out for personal reasons. The CD player Ari had found abandoned in the rec room occupied her, but Alexis was now slightly wary of electronics that appeared out of nowhere. She also noted that Frenzy's pieces were missing from the runway as they passed the runway while on the road.

Alexis didn't want to know.

"How come you don't want to launch an assault?" Ari asked as they headed towards the main part of the capital, Alexis at the wheel of the borrowed car.

"It would be out of our legal boundaries to do something like that, acting independently of any orders from the commander in chief," Alexis pointed out.

"He didn't give any orders. How can you risk acting independently of them if nothing was ever given?"

"We acted on our initiative," Alexis replied quietly. "We could get in heaps of trouble if we're caught bombing a warehouse, especially since Stanton got into trouble for doing the same thing to a secret military base."

Ari snorted. "You need to worry less about junk like punishments and the political process, and live a little. Were you always a goody-two shoes growing up?"

"Nope. That was my younger sister Meagan, not me," Alexis said, braking at the traffic light.

"The two of you must've reversed growing up. Well, if you're so queasy about doing this, think of it like this; at least you're not using semi-legal heavy weaponry and huge explosives like Stanton did. Remember hauling half of that to Oroville?" Ari asked, grinning slightly at the memory. "We had to come up with a legitimate reason to that tollbooth guy in Oregon why he couldn't take a peek in the back. In the end, Riley said it was his dog that had gone rabid, so it was traveling underneath the tarp for the protection of the public."

"I wasn't with you on that particular trip."

Ari sagged in her seat. "Too bad. We did have a little fun with the car ride," she said.

The light turned green and Alexis remained quiet. The rest of the trip to the Pentagon was carried in silence, except for the few curses Ari threw after a yellow Camaro nearly sideswiped them when they were on the small highway. Other than that, Ari listened to her CD player while Alexis focused on the road ahead of them.

At the entry gate to the Pentagon, Alexis showed her military ID to the security guard, and showed him Ari's ID as well. They were waved through almost without question, which made Alexis somewhat wary. Parking also passed without incident, and Alexis knew it was just her paranoia speaking now about the sudden lack of activity.

Alexis quickly walked up the steps to the front door, Ari taking the steps two at a time. The sun was now peeking out from behind the clouds as though curious of the daily activities of the lowly humans. She entered the building, barely touched by the small breeze from the air conditioner.

She placed her cell phone, car keys, and watch into the small bin by the security checkpoint. Ari made a mournful sound as she placed the CD player, cell phone, and a handful of quarters into a separate bin. Alexis walked through, and showed her ID to the man on the other side, and then turned to watch Ari walk through. They had no problem.

The machine did.

"Hang on a sec," an officer ordered, studying the screen before him at the items that had gone through the bin. "Something screwed this scanner up. It was like some kind of freq damage," the officer said, frowning as he pulled the bin out. Alexis watched as he and the other man rifled through, taking out the CD player. The man who had noticed this turned to Ari and said, "Ma'am, you're going to have to keep the player here so we can take it apart and see what is up with it."

Alexis's head jerked towards the player when she heard an eerily familiar whining sound coming from it. "Yeah… maybe you should leave it here. We'll grab it on our way out, which won't be long," she said to Ari, making a mental note to ask Starscream to keep his minions under better control if he was going to keep them around.

The pair of them actually didn't get far into the building; Ari spotted an old friend of hers. "Mags!" she squealed, startling the other woman. Alexis watched as Maggie Madsen palmed her forehead as Glen came over for a bear hug with Ari. "What are you guys doing here?" Ari asked, still grinning broadly.

"Just some decoding work, that's all," Maggie said, smiling and intercepting the question before Glen could. "Basically what we're trained to do."

"Where's Keller?" Alexis asked quietly. "We need to talk to him now."

Maggie shrugged. "I was kind of hoping that you would know. I haven't seen him since the general's death," she said. She glanced at the nearby security officers, and said, "I'm sorry that your general died… she seemed to me like a firm but kind woman."

"She only wanted what was best for all of us," Alexis said, shrugging slightly. She sighed. "It was nice talking to you, but we should probably go now. Come on Ari, Keller's not here."

"But I was just setting up a World of Warcraft challenge with Whitmann!" Ari protested, but followed anyway. She turned around and began walking backwards to continue talking to Glen. "What do you say that I call once I have a computer?" she suggested.

"Sure thing. See you online!" Glen shouted back.

Ari offered a quick wave before turning around to run after her captain. The security guards had been unable to figure out why the cell phone or CD player had fried the machine, and allowed Ari to take her personal effects as they were leaving. Alexis quickly retrieved her items before following Ari out the front door.

"So what now?" Ari asked slowing down to let Alexis catch up to her.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I may go ahead with this operation assuming that Tobias can come up with sufficient firepower to breach the facility," Alexis said, leading the way back to the car. "The threat seems legitimate enough to be real and not be a trap."

"Why the sudden change in mind?" Ari asked as she slipped into the vehicle.

"I don't know. I don't think I got enough sleep last night," Alexis answered, buckling in as Ari did. "That and I think Starsc… I mean Stryker is messing with my head," she said, quickly correcting herself at the almost slip of Starscream's name. She assumed that Ari didn't notice, because her friend was fumbling with the CD player and so was not paying too much attention. "You want anything before we go?"

"Yeah. A chocolate chip cookie, and a fat one please," Ari said, slipping the headphones on. She frowned, and said, "You really shouldn't be driving with a busted hand and arm."

"I managed this far hadn't I?" Alexis asked, and Ari shrugged.

The pair stopped outside a small but neat little café and grabbed a sandwich each to eat before leaving back to Andrews. Ari listened to her music while Alexis looked around at the National Mall as the sun clung to the horizon. The two of them were taking it easy, and she knew they shouldn't be doing that. But it was nice to have a little peace and quiet, and not worry about Starscream, or Frenzy, or any national threats.

"Aw crap."

Alexis looked tiredly at Ari, who was using the café menu to shield part of her face from the public behind it. Ari looked as though she couldn't decide whether to kill someone or crumble the food in her hand. "What now?" Alexis asked, hoping they wouldn't have to run for their lives again.

"As of a few seconds ago, I owe Tom three hundred dollars, and I don't even know how to get the money to him," Ari growled. "Police Captain Psycho is in the house folks, and I don't even have a stupid pistol to defend myself this time."

"They wouldn't tolerate any kind of firearms in the capital anyway," Alexis reminded her, rising in her seat to get a look for herself. Sure enough, the same 643 police cruiser was sitting at the curb facing the opposite direction, only this time Alexis saw that he had DC police symbols instead of Nevada symbols. "Maybe if we're really quiet, he won't notice us," Alexis suggested. The pair of women stood up and began to sneak away to their car.

_Squeeeeeee!!_

Alexis swore as a high-pitched scream emitted from the CD player, betraying their position away. She surmised that this must be the infamous Barricade, for the cruiser's lights flashed on in seconds after the electronic scream. If Starscream knew Frenzy, who knew this cruiser, than that must've meant that this was Starscream's other accomplice…

Alexis groaned. They had sent an unpredictable alien robot down one of the most dangerous hills in the nation. There was no telling what he would do when he caught up to them.

"Let's go!" Ari half-screamed, grabbing Alexis's arm and began running straight across the street to the National Mall. Horns blared as they narrowly dodged a truck that looked suspiciously like Ironhide to Alexis, and then they both dodged an eighteen-wheeler. The cruiser however shot right by the two vehicles, ignoring them completely, bent on pursuit of the two women.

"We… are not safe here!" Ari yelped as Alexis yanked her arm free. Instead of going onto the green grass of the National Mall, the pair of them shot down the sidewalk, the cruiser in swift pursuit.

Alexis glanced back, and then frowned with worry. Both the eighteen-wheeler and Ironhide had decided to join the chase, and it was quite a sight. An outside viewer might see two large vehicles chasing a police cruiser, which was chasing two pedestrians. The drivers in the opposing traffic lane wisely decided to either clear off to the side or just avoid the route itself.

"Ari," Alexis panted as she caught up with her friend. "We gotta split. I think the cruiser is after your player, and no, I don't know why," she said, glancing around. "Um, you go left up here, and I'll go right."

"Just bring the player back," Ari panted, passing the device over. "Got your phone?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"Yep. I'll call Davis too and tell him we're in a little situation," Ari assured her. "Good luck!"

As to plan, Ari shot to the left after handing over the player. Alexis however stopped at the corner and turned around. The cruiser was gaining on her, with Ironhide and the eighteen-wheeler close on its tail. Instead of going to the right, Alexis began running towards them, planning to run right on by. A thin metal rod shot out of the cruiser, but Alexis easily jumped it and continued running. She slowed down and turned around in time to see the police cruiser pull a one-eighty turn to keep pursuit. In order to avoid being crunched by its pursuers, Alexis watched with slight horror and fascination as the cruiser accelerated towards the trucks, but leapt forward and transformed in midair. The alien cleared both trucks and transformed back into the cruiser before making impact on the ground. The eighteen-wheeler continued on after Ari, and Alexis prayed that it was a good guy; Ari wouldn't be able to handle an alien much less a bad-tempered one.

Speaking of which…

Alexis sighed before continuing the run as the cruiser quickly gained ground. Ironhide was in close pursuit. If only Alexis could easily slow down to get to safety with Ironhide before the cruiser caught her.

A whine overhead announced Starscream's arrival to the fray. He strafed the road between the cruiser and Ironhide, who screeched to a sudden halt at the sudden appearance of the party crasher.

This allowed Alexis to escape, albeit with the cruiser close behind. She made a critical error in attempting to use an old alleyway near the edges of the main city to escape. Predictably, it was a dead end.

Now Alexis was scared. She backed away as the cruiser pulled into the alleyway, blocking off her escape. She dropped the player to the ground and put her hands up in surrender. The cruiser finally stopped, and she watched as the armor plating began sliding back. She felt like shrinking back in fear… she may have been with Starscream in the past, but never in enclosed quarters.

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting to finally deal with you and your pesky human companions," the alien growled, its hand slowly morphing into something deadly with long blades. "Ever since you entered my sights, you were dead."

Alexis couldn't come up with a sarcastic or witty response to that.

She didn't have too. A shower of plaster and bits of old building came raining down on her, and she shielded herself with her arms. She looked up to see Starscream in his true form, holding onto the buildings as though he'd been climbing them.

The alien hissed angrily in his native tongue, and Starscream snapped something back, beginning what looked like a full-fledged argument. Alexis stepped over the dropped player, which had morphed into Frenzy's head so that the little hacker could input his own opinion. She pressed herself against the wall and began to inch along past the huge black and white robot.

"Not so fast," he suddenly snarled, and pulled her up by the shirt collar. He dangled her near his face as though to study her closer, and Alexis gulped at the sight of two angry scarlet optics making connections with hers. Snarling softly, he deposited her on the rooftop near Starscream's foot. The argument between the two Decepticons kicked off again.

Alexis checked her cell phone. It was nearly eleven. Finally she shouted, "Hey _idiotas! __Golpéelo apagado."_ When the two of them stared at her, she snapped, "That means, 'idiots! Knock it off! Now that I have your attention, can you please do this after I leave?"

Barricade… it had to be him, snapped something in his native language, and Starscream replied in the same manner. Alexis suspected that he was explaining the awkward position that he was in with her, both holding threats just within reach.

Finally, Barricade resumed the cruiser form, and slowly slunk out into the streets again. Starscream turned to her and said, "He will be arriving at Andrews soon, and the reasons behind that is no business of yours. He will be more or less tolerant of the situation for now. As for Aliskevicz, she successfully evaded Optimus Prime, something that is rather tricky to do to begin with, and made it back to the vehicle you used. When she arrives to Andrews, Tobias will explain that I went out to go find you."

"Who is Optimus Prime?" Alexis asked, vaguely remembering her friend Lennox call a man 'Prime' once. Were the two really just one but under different appearances?

True to form, Starscream grunted, avoiding the question. He transformed back into his jet form, and opened his hatch to allow her in. Trying to calm her thumping heart and ignore her throbbing wrist and arm, she climbed into the hatch without question. She would have to wait until morning to give Starscream the belated earful for tonight. He had a lot to answer to.

-----------------

She felt completely out of place.

Rose Connelly picked at her uniform as though to relieve the tension she was feeling. Ratchet had assured her before time and time again that she was more than capable of handling this, but it still felt odd to be doing this.

Especially when she was going to be surrounded by college students.

_Not exactly_, she reasoned with herself. She was thinking of the medical center, not the hospital itself. Rose straightened, and bit her lip slightly in impatience as the elevator continued trundling up the many floors of the building towards the pediatric level of the hospital.

Perhaps she felt out of place because she knew she wasn't supposed to be here to begin with. The night before, she had borrowed a GWH nurse's uniform at the advice of an American who had a suspicion that it would prove useful in the future. Rose had a suspicion that the American somehow manipulated events to play out this way, proving Rose's mother's belief on Americans in general. Mrs. Connelly was a firm believer that most Americans brought nothing but trouble, and had been firmly against Rose's travel to United States in the first place for a scholarship opportunity to study at an excellent medical school.

Of course, Rose had reminded her mother that the British were just as good if not better than the Americans when it came to undercover work, seeing that there were many conspiracy rumors still floating around, even decades after they'd originated.

Mrs. Connelly finally rested her case.

A soft _ding_ announced her arrival to the pediatric ward, and Rose straightened again. She smiled as the elevator doors opened.

She entered the ward and looked around. It was quiet at this time of night, the children having gone to bed hours ago. It seemed impossible for the ills of the world to penetrate the cream-yellow walls and the quiet atmosphere of the floor. Rose checked to her left, and found to her delight that the nurse's station was empty. She checked around once before going around the counter and clicking the mouse to wake the computer up.

She was lucky tonight. The last nurse to use the computer had forgotten to log out, and so the account was still accessible, which included the records of all the patients.

Her cell phone suddenly trilled, an unusually shrill sound in the stillness of the lobby of the pediatric ward. Rose winced, remembering that Ratchet was waiting patiently in the parking garage to hear from her over whether the computer would require a little 'tinkering' in order to access the records.

"Yes?" she whispered, unwilling to attract unwanted attention.

"_**I trust all is well?"**_

"Yes… the last nurse forgot to log out… I won't be long," she assured him.

"_**Be careful… I sense that there are at least three others on the same level as you. Two are occupied with the younglings in their care, and I believe the third is looking for sustenance. It shouldn't take her long… although she is looking in the wrong part of the room."**_

"I'll be done soon. See you then," Rose said, and then flipped the phone shut. She brushed some hair from her face before accessing the patients' records, and typed in the name 'Samara' into the search engine. The president's daughter's name should be unique to the point where she would be the only one in the hospital's database… assuming she was admitted into this particular hospital. The problem with the capital was that there were at least six other possible hospitals, and Rose had not been inclined to check them all at the moment. Ratchet had checked the database beforehand, and did assure her that the girl went here, but Rose had privately doubted him.

_Ding._

Rose knew she could never doubt Ratchet after this.

She accessed Samara's records and scanned for the small tidbit of information she was looking for. She found it almost immediately, the patient information being in the first paragraph. She brushed some slightly dark red strands of hair from her eyes so that she could see the screen better.

Samara had a rare illness that was slowly wasting her away on the inside and outside. The medications she'd been receiving were keeping the ill effects away, and Samara was on regular bi-weekly treatments. She was due for another treatment tomorrow… assuming she was found by then. The hospital staff did not know about Samara's disappearance, but Rose did. The American she was cooperating with knew better than to try to cross or deceive Ratchet, and would have supplied the requested amount of accurate information, including what specifically Rose should look for in the records.

She scanned through Samara's patient information, looking for the medication the girl used. To her dismay, the medication was available in the hospital, but only three nurses in the entire facility had access to it and knew its location. Rose rubbed her temples, feeling another headache coming on. She knew it made sense that the security around the president's daughter would be tight, but she didn't think it would be this tight around the bloody medication.

Rose's head jerked up when she heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. She turned back to the computer and set up the pretense of working. She wondered briefly if there was a fourth nurse on this level who had escaped Ratchet's detection.

She wasn't even close.

"Nurse Leah?"

Rose looked off to her right and to her surprise, found a little boy in a white hospital gown standing there clutching a teddy bear. "Where's Nurse Leah?" the boy asked once he realized that Rose was not the nurse she was looking for.

"She'll be back soon," Rose said soothingly as she stood up. "Did you have a nightmare love?" she asked, leaning down to pick the little boy up.

The young one wrapped his arms around Rose's neck and buried his face in Rose's shoulder, but Rose heard the muffled 'yes' anyway. The boy also gripped the Rose's braid in a tight fist at the reminder of something terrible, but Rose did not react to it.

"Leah will be with you soon," she said reassuringly as she walked down the hall and found the one empty room in the corridor. "Don't worry, your nightmares can't hurt you all right?" Again, she barely heard the muffled assent as she laid the boy carefully down in the bed. Rose pulled the sheets up and tucked the corners in as the boy moved to get into a better position. As she finished, a soft snore announced that the child had gone back to sleep, nightmare promptly forgotten.

When she left, Rose closed the door but did not lock it. If the child chose to wake up soon and get out of bed looking for Leah, the door would offer the possibility of staying in bed to the child. If he was determined enough, the boy would merely walk out again, but maybe Leah would catch him this time.

She paused at the nurses' station long enough to exit the program and log out of the nurse's account on the computer. No need to leave a trail that was easy to follow.

The elevator ride back down to the main lobby was uneventful. In the main lobby, Rose went to the coat locker room and rescued her light jacket. She would have walked through the glass doors that led to the parking garage if the small cafeteria hadn't caught her eye.

Rose hesitated; maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a little tea before leaving the hospital. Her last cup had been in Mission City a few days ago, and she did need more. One cup, one little delay, never hurt anyone. She shrugged, turned on her heel, and walked towards the cafeteria counter.

"What would you like?" the cashier asked, a young college student by the looks of it. "We have late night specials on coffee, tea, cookies, and special soups that have been proven to keep you up for several hours."

Rose pursed her lips as she scanned the menus behind the cashier. Pulling out her wallet, she asked, "Do you have any Tetley tea?" She figured she'd earned the treat, although she would appreciate the authentic brand, not the flimsy knock-off.

The intern behind the counter grinned. "British?" she asked, and Rose nodded. "You're in luck," she said, leaning down beneath the counter. "Hospital keeps a secret supply of the stuff for our international patients," the intern said, and Rose could hear the sound of boxes being moved underneath the counter. "Aha. Here we go," she said, straightening up. "Do you want anything with it?"

"Milk and half a sugar thanks," Rose said, carefully counting out the correct change for the purchase.

"How does this sound? Half price because you're staff and God knows you have to deal with enough as it is. At least you weren't there in all that craziness in Mission City when those terrorist psychos hit…" the intern said as she turned around to get the tea brewing.

_Quite the contrary_ Rose thought grimly as she remembered the carnage from Mission City. Another day off that took an unexpected turn. Her day had started when she walked into the bustling downtown world in Mission City. The morning was spent exploring the shopping district with a cup of coffee in hand, and the world had been at peace then. She had been eating lunch while reading her favorite book at the Sidewalk Café when the first army tanks arrived, bristling with weaponry and serving as escort to a yellow Camaro. The café owner had mysteriously vanished within moments of the army's arrival, and, as Rose looked back on it she should have left as well. But she didn't. Instead, she retreated with the few stragglers, but was among the few who hung back. Her priorities shifted from watching the confrontation to helping the injured when the fighting broke out and everything from buildings and cars were smashed.

She had been too focused on the injured to notice the strange qualities of the combatants. Being the only medic at the scene at the time, she had managed to recruit a few civilians with limited medical training to help pull people from the combat zone and treat them. It had been extremely dangerous at the time, so she'd only managed to rescue five survivors during the entire confrontation, three of which died from internal injuries hours later. So she stayed, working at the scenes for hours after the confrontation ended, trying to save one life at a time. She had disregarded all time until someone pulled her to her feet, saying that an exhausted medic wasn't going to be of much use. Other medical and rubble crews had arrived by then, so she was placed off to the side to rest from the work.

"Your tea, ma'am."

The intern's voice brought Rose back to the present. She smiled tiredly and handed over the money in exchange of the cup. She took a seat at a little table in the cafeteria and visibly relaxed in her seat as she took the first sip.

_Bang!_

Rose wasn't the only one who jumped as the door that led to the parking garage slammed open. She did shrink slightly as a burly man entered the lobby, scanning the area. She recognized the man; he often hung around the Mission City Memorial Hospital, and Maria even told her that he'd been around just to 'keep an eye' on her. It wasn't until after she'd been called in to help the secretary of defense with the assassination of General Stanton. The security captain of Area 51, an irate man named Henry Crowley, had muttered under his breath to her that she had been a Sector Seven target for the last couple of months, and she no longer doubted that the man was an agent, hunting her down.

She turned her face away at an angle so that he would not see her face even if he looked in her direction. She heard him pause at the front desk, and then vanish down the hall towards the elevators. Hospital security would be after him in a few minutes no doubt.

She finished her tea at a slightly rushed pace, mourning the few precious minutes that could have been spent sitting down and relaxing. Rose gave the cup back to the intern, who chirped her thanks and then vanished somewhere behind the counter. Rose used the time she had while the agent was gone to slip into the parking garage and find Ratchet, and get out of the surrounding area quickly.

Ratchet was waiting patiently for her, the driver's door already open. She climbed in and closed the door. "I trust all went well?" Ratchet asked patiently, his deep voice coming from the speakers.

"Close call with our friend from Mission City, that's all," Rose said, buckling in. She pretended to turn the vehicle on because there was a hospital employee walking nearby, and Rose did not want to risk exposure.

"Prime and Ironhide confirmed the presence of Decepticons in the area," Ratchet calmly informed her as he began to leave the parking garage. "One of them is the same one we found in Mission City in the rubble at the bottom of the infamous Devil's Run. The other is the dangerous one that Ironhide requested special permission to take out."

Rose shuddered. She had gotten a brief glimpse of the one from Mission City as it pulled itself from the wreckage at the bottom. It was a little scary to think that a dangerous entity had selected a form that ninety-nine percent of the world's population chose saw as the keeper of law and order. The Autobots' other human allies no doubt saw the oxymoron in that situation.

The yellow and distinctive Search and Rescue vehicle slipped out into the night, and soon vanished from sight as well as the short-term memory of all passersby.

---------------

A/N: So I got it up after all. :) The next update, Chapter 36: Reconciliation, will be posted on Friday, June 26th 2009.


	36. Reconciliation

Chapter Thirty-Six

Reconciliation

"We have approximately forty hours before Lynch's deadline is up," Tobias said, pacing on the narrow strip of floor between his two audiences. It was eight in the morning, and the final planning meeting was in session, although Alexis suspected that there would possibly be one more before the operation began. Tobias was taking this all seriously, even asking to take full command of the operation. Alexis agreed, and then had to take Ari's CD player from the room… just in case. Then she returned to find Tobias pacing anxiously, waiting to give a status update. He clapped his hands together and said, "Despite that, we have only twenty-four hours to make sure everything is in order before we carry it out.

"What's left?" Alexis asked, dreading the answer. If it was firepower again…

"Firepower," Tobias said, not heeding Alexis's silent prayer. "Marty did a fly-by yesterday to get an aerial view. Lynch is clearly expecting something huge to bust through. Judging from the scanners, the security on the place would put a max-security prison to shame. Assuming we get the firepower, we'd have to make sure we check with Keller so that he doesn't have us pegged as terrorists by accident."

"Ari and I were down there yesterday. He's not here," Alexis said quietly.

"Okay, well, as the saying goes, it's easier to ask for forgiveness rather than for permission," Tobias said, checking something on the paper before him.

"Toby, please try to remember we're just going in for an abandoned barracks, not the entire Mid-Atlantic region," Ari said as she picked at her scrambled eggs with her fork. "Gross, someone needs to go back to cooking school," she said, wincing at the rubbery consistency of the meal.

"How much firepower do we have now?" Alexis asked, looking at Tobias. "People will notice if we leave a massive crater in the middle of the battleground."

"Yeah, like the invading aliens did in Tranquility California area!" Tyler piped up, already on a roll. "How does this theory sound? They land here and scan our cars and trucks to better blend in. Then they collect data and study us because we're organics and different from them. Then, once every month, they send all that data to the mother ship and the other aliens use that data to plot a strategic takeover of the planet!"

"Can't you tell he's been watching too much Star Wars at night?" Ari asked, moving the eggs to one side of her plate, her face wrinkling in disgust.

Tobias made a sound of impatience. "Come on guys, focus," he said. "As far as weaponry goes, all army participants have their own weapons, and their leader thinks that they could spring some more if necessary. The F-22s can be outfitted with maybe another missile launch or two, and the uh, negotiation team I guess can be prepped with small handheld firearms. Once we breach the outer doors, we're going to have to fight our way in. It's too bad we don't know exactly where Samara is… we're going to have to work hard to find her. She'll probably be with Lynch, as a safety measure for him."

"Won't we have an infiltration team to get her?" Alexis asked.

"That's the other role for the negotiation team. If Lynch refuses to comply, we'll just uh, _storm _our way in. I think we have a cannon strong enough around here somewhere to breach the outer wall," Tobias answered cheerfully. "For the members of the team, we'd dress someone up as an official negotiator, maybe a paramedic to take care of the girl when we get to her, someone passing off as a cop to show Lynch we're serious, and a couple of plain-clothes to distract Lynch and lull him into a false sense of security." He pulled out a thick folder and skimmed through the papers inside, looking for one specific sheet. Ari whistled softly at the amount of papers he was carrying, and Alexis rolled her eyes, only wondering how much of the folder was legally-obtained material. Oblivious to their reactions, Tobias pulled out another few sheets and then handed the folder off to a masked soldier behind him. Starscream cocked his head in slight interest as the soldier began rifling through the folder's contents. Tobias either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Writing or carrying a novel?" Ari asked curiously as he accidentally dropped a few of the papers onto the floor.

Tobias glared at her, and said with a straight face, "I'm writing a novel about how you are the most annoying, wise-cracking smartass in the entire United States Air Force. The title is called 'The Pilot From Hell'. Maybe you'll do me the humongous honor of signing the damn thing when I'm finished." He bent down and swiftly collected the few papers that had fallen to the ground.

"I just might, especially since we've officially established that I'm worse than Davis. I was a little worried about the competition ever since he signed up with us, but hey, as long as he doesn't care, then I'm good," Ari said, grinning in a way that suggested she was up to no good. "While you're still drafting, throw in a little blurb about my awesome driving skills."

"More like the lack of them," Tobias snapped. "Okay, back to business, I'm almost done so stay calm. In order to transport all the people I mentioned earlier, we're going to need five land vehicles and fifteen aerial jets to pull this off. One, we're going to use the F-22s as the opening act, with a bomber or two to clean things up. With your permission captain, I would like Davis to be in charge of that. Two, the captain is going to pass off as the negotiator and ride in the police cruiser that appeared in the indoor-parking garage last night. You'll be getting a nice business suit and all ma'am, and trust me, you'll look gorgeous."

Ari snickered at that as Alexis ducked her head to hide her embarrassment. "Toby, I wouldn't say stuff like that when the good lady's boyfriend is in the same room." Ari said, grinning broadly.

"Ari, shut up!" Alexis hissed, flushing redder. She turned back to Tobias and said, "Do we really have to use the cruiser that's here at Andrews and do I have to really be the negotiator here?"

"Yes and yes. I don't want to draw attention from the DC police force, and besides, if you can keep Davis from lashing out at the nearest offender, then a hyped-up Sector Seven leader wannabe should be a piece of cake," Tobias told her, grinning slightly. "Now, the third vehicle we'll use is a Search and Rescue to avoid tying up ambulances but keep the paramedic happy. Don't worry ma'am, we'll hunt down a professional."

"Why not use a military medical vehicle?" Starscream interrupted.

"Because I already found a Search & Rescue Hummer for the job. Besides, anything related to the military could tip Lynch off," Tobias answered. "Now, I was also thinking we would use an eighteen-wheeler _cab_…"

"Is it to cart the explosives? How much are we using?" Ari asked, interrupting him a second time.

"You'll see in a minute if you shut up, Motor Mouth," Tobias snapped. "Now, if we use an official SWAT truck, then Lynch will know we've got land fighters too. The cab will have a small trailer hitched to serve as transport for the soldiers, but Lynch will probably assume we have relief supplies for the hostage or something like that." He looked up and asked, "Any questions?"

"Yes. Do we really need more firepower because we're going to have limited time and space. It will only be a matter of hours before the police and other soldiers arrive to put an end to it." Alexis said, eyeing Tobias carefully.

"Actually ma'am, now that I see what we do have in that department, I think we're more than good," Tobias said, raising an eyebrow, still scanning his sheet. He looked up and asked, "Any more questions?"

One of the helmeted soldiers behind him spoke up for the first time. "Question," the soldier said while prying his helmet off, revealing the worn facial expression of an experienced veteran. "It sounds like we're dealing with heavy weaponry of questionable legality and a national secret or two. Is the objective to kill or capture Lynch?" he asked, running a hand through his short but spiky hair.

"Yes. Stryker, I'm sorry about this, but we have to _capture_ Lynch alive. The daughter is our real objective, but I don't want Lynch to be killed in the crossfire. We can maim him to prevent escape, but do not kill him. We're not raiding the place on the sole purpose of killing him, so his fate is not our concern," Tobias answered, glancing at Starscream and the soldier.

At that moment, Alexis happened to glance down at Starscream. She tensed when she saw his storm-like facial expression. His brow was furrowed, his eyes were narrowed in a threateningly manner, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Something about the discussion or its participants had irked him. She wondered if it was the fact that he had one human kill denied to him or that Tobias had singled him out for this.

Ari predictably latched onto the four words from the recent discussion that would require the most complicated explanation. "What 'national secret or two' are we talking about?" she asked, tilting her head as she regarded Tobias.

Again, with a straight face, Tobias said, "The giant robots called Autobots and their involvement in Mission City during their millennia-old battle against the Decepticons. Picked that up from when Mr. Anderson was chatting with the president about the best course of action last night."

"Uh-huh. You guys realize that you're all obsessing over something that isn't real right?" Ari asked, eyeing Tobias as though he was the nearest prey. "Giant robots aren't a national secret because they aren't real. Giant robots are just something made up by the government geeks so they could have something to drool over in excitement."

"So what you're saying is that you don't believe in giant robots even when there is one sitting less than four feet away from you in this very room?" Tobias said in a serious manner.

Starscream tensed and Alexis froze as Ari stiffened, her eyes widening in fear. She placed a finger to her lips, and reached inside her pocket. Alexis became still as Ari pulled out a small rubber ball, no doubt stolen from the base's gymnasium. Keeping the finger to her lips, she turned in her seat in the direction of the suspected robot, and threw the ball with as much force as she could pack into the throw.

Tyler let out an ear-splitting howl as the ball smacked the back of his head and bounced off. Ari ducked to avoid the rebound, it hit the wall her, and Starscream jerked to the left to avoid the ball as it bounced past him. The unmasked soldier caught the ball as it sailed past his shoulder, and then he tossed it lightly to Tyler, who was still rubbing the back of his head.

"See? Tyler felt pain. Tyler is not a robot," Ari said coolly to Tobias.

"Gotcha," Tobias said, smirking at her reaction.

Before Ari could lunge at Tobias for the trick, Tyler threw the rubber ball back at her. It smacked her in the face, propelling her back into her chair. Before Ari could retaliate, Alexis swiftly stood up and crossed to where Ari was sitting. Whatever curse Ari had been about to utter died when Alexis took Ari's ear between her thumb and forefinger and pulled up… hard. Alexis then sat in between Tyler and a whimpering Ari as Starscream stood up and claimed Alexis's vacated seat.

"Easy captain, we're just about done," Tobias assured her. He frowned slightly, and then asked, "Do you mind going back to DC today ma'am? Just to locate the vehicles and speak to the drivers about the use of vehicles?"

"Of course not. While I'm there, I can leave a note for Keller explaining what we're doing so technically we're obeying him by warning him," Alexis said, standing up. "I'll bring Tyler and Ari along to keep them out of trouble," she added, gesturing for Ari and Tyler to follow her. "As for the squadron, I want you to alert all able pilots to be prepared for tomorrow. Stryker will be flight partners with Marcia since Riley is still in the medical wing and I'm going to be your 'negotiator'. I still do not know yet who I am going to relinquish control of the squadron to, so I'll have that set by the time I return." With that last statement, she made it clear that she did not plan to pass the leadership down to Starscream, who looked a little miffed at the omission. She did not say it aloud, but she still did not trust him that much yet.

"All right, we'll adjourn for now. Careful folks; there may be a meeting later tonight to finalize things," Tobias said as people stood up to leave. The one soldier who had spoken slipped his helmet back on and joined his tall friend in departure.

"I'll meet you guys at the car in a few minutes," Alexis said, tossing the keys to Ari. "Same one as last time."

"See you in a few then. Come on Ty," Ari said, gesturing for Tyler to follow her. Tyler, Alexis noticed, was fingering the rubber ball behind his back while eyeing the back of Ari's neck.

Tobias saluted respectfully as Alexis walked by, and then watched as she exited the room. He glanced at Starscream and mouthed, 'she's all yours'. Then Tobias left the room, looking for Collins. The boy was going to play messenger.

Meanwhile, Alexis was leaving her room, dressed in more appropriate civilian clothing. Nothing fancy, just a simple pair of jeans, a white shirt, and her favorite camouflage-patterned jacket. She sighed and stopped in her tracks once she picked up on a familiar presence behind her. "What do you want now Starscream?" she asked with slight impatience.

"Your trust," he answered simply. Surprised, she turned around to face him only to find him right in front of her. She tried to duck past him, but he was faster. He gently pushed her back against the wall, and then moved his hands to the wall on either side of her face. "I just want you to trust me," he whispered, leaning down slightly so that his forehead brushed hers. Before she could react to the close proximity however, he leaned forward slightly and kissed her softly.

Alexis was so surprised by the sudden tenderness she didn't push him away, her usual reaction to a situation like this. She was still somewhat disoriented when he broke the kiss and gently rested his forehead against hers, the pair of them looking down at the floor.

"I know you saved my skin five times already, but it's your general reluctance to accept orders that has me edgy," she finally admitted. "We can't afford to mess up. Maybe you and your impenetrable armor can walk away from what seems to you like a menial conflict, but we humans aren't… capable of doing that. As you no doubt know, we can't walk away that easily from a grievous injury." She winced as she remembered poor Riley in the med wing. He would have wanted to participate in this operation.

"How about you grant me the leadership and I will obey your orders," he suggested, and she felt him smile slightly. "You need to trust others a little easier… otherwise nobody will be going anywhere," he observed.

"Let me think about it. I might tell you my decision tonight," Alexis replied.

At that second, her cell phone went off, cutting through the silence with its shrill noise. Starscream was so startled that his hologram abruptly vanished. Alexis fumbled with the device and flipped it open. "Yeah?" she asked, still tense from the surprise.

"_**Did you go to the cafeteria or something without telling me? What the hell is taking you so long?"**_

Ari. Alexis thought quickly and said, "I thought I would stop by the med wing first to check up on Riley. I'll be there in a few minutes, so keep your pants on."

"_**Whatever. Grab me a bagel on your way out… I'm starving."**_ Ari hung up before Alexis could contradict the request, and Alexis slipped the phone back into her pocket before she began walking to the med wing, just to be able to speak the truth when Ari demanded for answers.

She found Riley without a problem; the med wing wasn't far and the layout of the area was simple. Riley was lying in the hospital bed, bandages wrapped around his torso and part of his head. He smiled weakly when she walked in.

"Ma'am?" a nurse asked, catching Alexis's attention. "Please don't make him speak; he is still half-drugged from the surgery and he's making no sense. He's stuttering words out, but it all doesn't make sense," she explained, spotting Alexis's confused expression. "He's all fixated on a few letters, but he isn't fully coherent yet."

"Will he survive this?" Alexis asked anxiously.

The nurse nodded. "It'll take a while, but he'll be back in the air soon enough. It was just that bullet wound, plus the fact that he banged his head when he fell down," she said, and left the room.

Alexis sat down beside Riley and smiled. "Hear that? You'll be okay," she said.

Riley nodded, and then scrunched up his face. Alexis watched as his mouth moved without speaking for a few moments, and then he managed to get an unintelligible sound out, 'ssss'. Upon seeing Alexis's frown, he repeated himself again, only to get flustered when he realized she didn't understand. Weakly, he raised his right hand so that Alexis could see. She watched as he formed a fist with his thumb crossed in the front, forming the sign for the letter 'S'.

"I'm sorry Riley… I don't understand," she said, frowning. She gritted her teeth as her phone went off again. She checked the caller ID, saw that it was Ari, and put it back into her jeans pocket again without answering. "Hey," she said leaning down slightly, "I'll see you later okay? Just hang in there, buddy."

Riley let out a pitiful whine, and he looked anxious. He fretted to himself as he watched her leave… she didn't get it. He sagged back in the bed, and began to wait for his other morning visitor.

Alexis did not mull over Riley's 'S' as she sprinted to the car. She was glad she got there when she did; Tyler and Ari were close to strangling each other. She slid into the driver's seat, pushed Ari back into the backseat, and pushed Tyler back into a proper seating position in the passenger's seat. As they were leaving, Ari shrunk beneath the window as they passed the parked police cruiser.

They got to DC faster than the day before; Alexis was seven or so miles above the speed limit, but she just felt that there was some kind of urgency. It felt as though whatever they were doing had to be done fast, no exceptions. She wondered if she was getting anxious about tomorrow or Riley's cryptic message, if it even was one.

"Hey Lexi, Toby gave us a list of specific vehicles to nab," Ari said, examining a slip of paper. "Okay, I've got dibs on the black GMC and the yellow sports car, and you can get the eighteen-wheeler and the Hummer. No, I don't know why Tobias wanted a sports car… maybe to start window-shopping for his next car." She frowned, and said, "After yesterday, eighteen-wheelers made the second slot on my list of things to avoid at all cost. Had to hide out in a nightclub for about two hours just to shake him off last night."

"Yeah, and I had to explain myself to a police officer yesterday. He had no idea why we were running from him… turns out he wanted to apologize for the altercation in Mission City," Alexis said, hoping that the remark wouldn't come back to bite her later.

"Really?" Ari asked, suddenly interested.

Alexis nodded, and then asked, "Why do you think Tobias wants so much firepower?"

Ari shrugged. "Maybe because he likes making things go boom. That's one thing he's got in common with Stryker," she said.

Alexis nodded in acknowledgment. "Hey, do you want the car? I can walk around DC… if I don't see what I'm looking for, then I'll just meet you at the café where we were yesterday," she said, glancing at Ari through the rearview mirror.

"Works for me. You can take the doofus with you… I fly solo in a car," Ari said, pointedly ignoring Tyler.

"Tobias gave me the note for Keller," Tyler said out of the blue. He smiled cheekily and settled back into his seat.

Alexis sighed and continued driving.

When they arrived at the Pentagon again, Alexis and Tyler got out while Ari clambered for the driver's seat. Alexis rolled her eyes as the car nearly clipped the wire fence with its side mirrors in its eagerness to leave and get moving.

"Are we going to be long?" Tyler asked as they walked up the steps to the Pentagon. "I was thinking we could get a mid-morning snack or something."

"We're just dropping something off," Alexis said. She stopped at the top of the steps and said, "You have the note?"

Tyler nodded and handed over the note that Tobias had written the night before.

The guard on duty recognized her from yesterday. He stood up to intercept her and prevent her from walking through the metal detectors. "Sorry ma'am, but no visitors, military or otherwise, are permitted inside today," he said, blocking her path. "If it's a message, then someone will take it up."

Alexis sighed, and then handed over the envelope. "It's for the secretary of defense," she explained. "His eyes only."

"He's still not here, but I understand. I will take it up for you," the guard replied, and then took the envelope from her. "Have a nice day," he added as she and her companion were leaving. He waited until they were out of sight before slipping the envelope into his own pocket and pulling his cap off. His two days of boring guard duty finally paid off, just as Ross predicted. Now he could rejoin his own comrades.

Oblivious the guard's treachery, Alexis and Tyler headed out to the bustling highway. Careful to stay on the broad sidewalks, the two of them made their way into the heart of the capital, only stopping to rest after an hour of two of walking.

"Uhhh…" Tyler groaned as he flopped down on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial after the morning walk. "Why did we let Ari take the car?"

"We needed the exercise," Alexis said, sitting down beside him. "So what are we looking for?"

"One eighteen-wheeler cab after lunch, one Hummer after dinner," said Tyler, pulling his sweatshirt off despite the cloudy skies.

"Does everything revolve around food?" Alexis asked teasingly.

Tyler shrugged. "Are we looking for a specific cab, or can we just pick one?" he asked.

"I'm guessing that we're picking one. He wasn't really specific," Alexis said, looking around. "Why, do you see one or something?"

"Yeah, that one," Tyler said, pointing to a spot off to their left on the road.

Without looking in the indicated direction, Alexis asked, "Is it blue with red flames on the cab and no trailer?"

Tyler looked stunned, and then nodded. Alexis sighed and looked in the direction he'd pointed in. Sure enough, the cab was sitting at the curb, with Ironhide parked in front of him. She was ready to put down her bets that the cab must be the elusive Optimus Prime that Starscream had mentioned in passing the night before. If those two were the same that she was looking for, then Tobias had more firepower in his arsenal than he'd originally planned for.

"Oh well," Tyler suddenly said. "We'll have to ask someone else… there they go."

Alexis's attention jerked back to the two vehicles, which had pulled away from the curb, a diminutive yet distinctive Camaro between them. She knew she had last seen all three at Mission City, which meant that the Hummer had to be around the city somewhere. Either by sheer chance or some unimaginable twist of fate, Tobias managed to select the Autobots for his grim task tomorrow morning. On top of that, she just allowed Ari to go speak to two of them, one of who was a weapons-happy soldier.

She would have to call Ari just to make sure that her friend wasn't toast. Ari did tend to talk too much when she was nervous.

"I still say we get lunch first, then go find another cab," Tyler said, lying back down on the marble steps. "First we get painkillers. Resting on these steps wasn't my best idea."

"Along with many others," Alexis muttered to herself, but stood up. Before she could say anything, a rumble of thunder echoed through the sky. Forewarned, people began heading back indoors or underneath some kind of roof or overhang. Tyler leapt up to his feet and the pair of them retreated to the safety of the memorial. The skies opened up at that moment and rain began to pour down from above.

"Do you think it'll rain tomorrow?" Tyler asked as the pair of them stood between the marble pillars and watched the water come down.

"It had better not. I'm not going to risk a flier to the lightning," Alexis said, wincing at the sudden crack and flash of lightning.

"You think Ari is okay?"

"She's probably cursing the sky right now. She'll be fine, don't worry," Alexis said, watching as the rain picked up in intensity. After a few minutes, the rain slowed to a drizzle, turning out to be one of the random showers during the day. The sky was considerably lighter, but the sun was still hidden. "See? It was just a short shower. Bet you she'll call in the next five minutes and say, 'what the hell was that all about?'" Tyler grinned.

_Brrring!_

Alexis winked as she pulled the cell phone out and opened it. "Hello?" she asked.

"_**What the hell was that all about? Doesn't the damn weather know that we're on a bit of a tight schedule here?**_"

"I guess not. What are you up to?"

Ari let out an irritated sigh. "_**I just spoke with Captain Lennox and his buddy and they said we could borrow the truck as long as we allow them dibs in the action. Kind of like the last punch on Sector Seven, or something like that,"**_ she said, her voice muffled by the speaker.

"I guess we can allow them that. His friend is a part of the army as well," Alexis said, thinking of Ironhide's hologram. She had yet to see him in robotic form, but could guess at what he was like.

"_**Yeah, well, the two teenage owners of the Camaro want to help. Lennox said they had the experience, but they're just kids!"**_

"We can't allow them near the war zone," Alexis said as she followed Tyler, who had left the sanctuary of the memorial and was now walking back to the left roads, where the shops and restaurants were. "Tell them no."

"_**Trust me. I tried. The girl scares me a bit to be honest. A grease monkey from the looks of her."**_

"Ari, she's probably only eighteen or so. You shouldn't be intimidated by her at all," Alexis reminded her friend. "Hey, Ari, I call back later. I have to cross the street and I don't want to get hit." Alexis didn't wait for Ari to respond; she just hung up after that. She waited for the street to clear before crossing while Tyler did the smart thing and used the crosswalk.

"Jaywalking is considered an offense you know," he informed her when they were reunited on the sidewalk.

"Then I will have been arrested more than ten times," she told him. "Now listen. Ari found her two, it's time for us to get cracking and find ours."

"But I kind of don't want to. I only came along willingly because I wanted to get out of Andrews," Tyler complained as Alexis guided him towards a nearby café for sandwiches. "It was starting to get creepy there."

"How?" Alexis asked, sitting down across from him.

Tyler shuddered and said, "I tell you, there is something weird about the police cruiser showing up in Andrews last night. It felt to me as though he just waltzed right in as though someone had invited him in, which I assure you I did not." He frowned, and then said, "I think the driver spent the night in the car. That couldn't have been comfortable. I tried to help him though by leaving him a pillow and a blanket on the hood. It was all shredded up this morning, and there were feathers everywhere. Sheesh, if he didn't want it, he didn't have to rip it…"

"I'm sure he didn't rip it," Alexis lied. "Maybe it was an animal or something."

"Couldn't have been Charlie. We left him back in Area 51."

"Doesn't mean that a raccoon didn't get in. There is plenty of wildlife all over the place up here compared to the desert," Alexis reminded him.

Tyler shuddered. "Still doesn't make me feel better," he said nervously.

Alexis laughed slightly, and then smiled as the waiter appeared.

Alexis wasn't planning to hide the fact, but they really spent more time walking around the city rather than looking for the vehicles. Tyler became calmer as they walked, and Alexis suspected that when Tyler spent time with Ari, it was as though someone had injected caffeine into him. She was going to consider that keeping them apart longer was better in the long run, but later rejected that idea when Tyler began displaying signs of separation anxiety.

It was during their afternoon snack that Tyler finally caved and told her that he and Ari had been close childhood friends before she had moved away two years before graduating from high school in Boston. Alexis knew that part of the story; Ari said her parents had divorced before she'd graduated from school and her father dragged her by the shirt collar away to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Tyler had suffered from the separation, sharing his misery with Jeffrey, Ari's twin brother who had a lower energy level than his sister to begin with. Tyler told Alexis that he had had no hope of ever seeing Ari again, so he just followed his interest in aviation and was going to serve as a civilian pilot when his father accidentally signed him up for the Air Force instead. Tyler didn't complain, figuring he would do something useful that way.

Meeting Ari again in the training center was like igniting the fuse to twin bombs. The pair was back to their old tricks within weeks of reuniting, and Ari was able to drag Alexis into a few mishaps over the years. The worst one to date had to be the trick they pulled on the police cruiser in Mission City a month or two ago.

After searching through the city once more, Alexis had to concede defeat. It was as though the vehicles had conspicuously vanished from sight. On top of that, it was growing dark outside, another reason to head back.

"Tyler, let's cross the street, and I'll call Ari to pick us up," Alexis said, pulling out her cell phone. She checked both ways and then quickly crossed before the traffic light changed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tyler hesitate as the traffic began. She turned to face him from across the street and dialed Ari's number. "Ari?" she asked.

"_**Hey Lexi I was getting worried from the silence on your end. Did you find the Hummer? I ran into the truck driver this afternoon and told him that Tobias set up an informational meeting at La Bailarina, some ditzy place near Andrews."**_

"No, I didn't find the Hummer. I'm across the street from the National Archives, and we need a pick up. Tyler is going to cross the street once he gets a chance," Alexis reported into the speaker.

"_**All right I'll see you guys in a few,"**_ Ari said, and then hung up.

"Are you coming or not?" Alexis shouted to Tyler.

He gestured for her to wait, and then when the traffic was clear both ways, he casually walked out and began to cross. Alexis rolled her eyes; any slower and she might have a car accident victim as the next item on the D.L. He offered a cheeky smile as he crossed the yellow lines, and then calmly walked towards her. The streets were empty both ways, but Alexis still felt that Tyler was tempting not only the traffic lights, but fate as well.

_Screeee!_

Tyler yelped and froze for a few seconds at the sound of squealing tires, and stood there as headlights illuminated his body. He looked like a caught deer for a moment.

There was a thunk and Alexis jumped back in horror as the car bumper knocked Tyler in the knees and pushed him backwards onto the road. The car came up halfway his body before stopping, and then the driver carefully reversed away from him. Alexis quickly ran to him as the car shut off. She turned around to face the driver, ready to yell at them for the carelessness.

"Why the hell did he stop in the middle of the freaking road?" Ari squealed in horror as she climbed out of the driver's seat. "I don't get it… I was going the speed limit for _once _in my life!"

"I'm good…" Tyler managed to wheeze out, starting to sit up. Ari knelt and gently pushed him back.

"No you're not idiot," Ari snapped. She looked up at Alexis and said, "911… we gotta call 911… what if he has a concussion?"

"Then he's not participating in the mission tomorrow," Alexis said, fumbling for the cell phone. "I'll call 911 and you keep him calm."

"Make sure the Search & Rescue comes," Tyler said in a singsong voice.

Ari stared at him like he was an idiot. "You freaking did that on purpose… just to get a damn Hummer that we could easily pilfer from the parking lot at night. You would be amazed at the effect that a simple rewiring can have on car systems," she snapped, and Alexis was sure that if Tyler hadn't been injured, Ari would have whacked him in the side of the head in anger.

"_**Hello, 911 operator. Please state the nature of your emergency."**_

"Hi, um, I'm across the street from the National Archives, and there's been a sort of car accident… we need medical attention right away," Alexis said. She would have continued, but a calm male voice suddenly replaced the operator's voice.

"_**Medical attention will be there momentarily."**_

"I wonder what he meant by 'momentarily', " Alexis said as she hung up. Ari got up briefly to flick on the emergency blinking lights on the car so no one would crash into them. Then she sat down by Tyler's head again.

"I'd be willing to bet that the police cruiser will get here first, you know, the cop who always shows up at the scene of an accident," Ari said. "Ten weeks worth of chores back at home base."

Alexis grinned and said, "You're on."

They didn't have to wait long, but Ari lost. The yellow Hummer came by them but pulled over as soon as the driver was sure that neither Tyler nor Ari would be hit. The Hummer stopped, and two people got out. Alexis discreetly kicked Ari when she spotted her friend raising an eyebrow at the prospect of stealing the Hummer. Stealing wasn't going to keep Ari in the police officer's good graces.

"What happened?" one of the paramedics asked, a British accent from the sound of it. Ari's head snapped up and she stared open-mouthed at the woman.

"You again?" Ari asked, torn between surprise, delight, and downright curiosity. "Question, where do you work exact… _ow,_ I get it, shut up!" she said, crying out in pain when Alexis discreetly yet lightly kicked her again. Ari took a calming breath, and then said in a solemn manner, "My friend here was standing in the road on purpose when I came around the corner and didn't see him until the last minute."

"He should be fine," the man said, checking Tyler's vital signs. "Perhaps a good rest and a quick scan and he should be fine."

"We should take him to the nearest hospital for MRI scans…" the woman began.

At this point, the man was right by his partner, but Alexis heard him say, "I have already scanned him, and he is not injured, just… in shock I believe the term is."

The woman frowned, but before she could speak, the wail of police sirens came into hearing range. Alexis did not react as Barricade pulled up past the Hummer, but she could sense the instant hostility in the air as Barricade's hologram walked towards them. Ari suddenly remembered she left something in the car, and left Tyler's side in a run for safety.

"If you have a problem with me Barricade, then we will take it somewhere other than here," the man began in a warning tone.

Alexis made a few risky assumptions at this point. One, she was ready to assume that the Hummer was also a transforming being along with Ironhide, Starscream, Barricade, Optimus Prime, and the yellow Camaro. Two, Tobias had to have a good idea of what he was asking for. Three, Tyler's medic who seemed to always be there whenever Tyler was injured in any way shape or form was also in on the secret. Four, Alexis had a pretty good idea who sent Barricade and why.

"Excuse me?" she asked, interrupting the snide remarks between the men. To her dismay, no one listened. Ignoring that fact, she asked, "Barricade, did Starscream send you or did you come on your initiative?"

Barricade cut the argument off by shutting up. Both men stared at her, and then Barricade hissed out, "You didn't call in. Your partner-in-crime and Starscream were getting impatient at the lack of contact from the three of you."

"You got it all wrong," Ari suddenly interrupted, coming from the car. "Screamer is her partner-in-crime, and Tobias is just there to annoy me." She paused, turned to the woman, and then said, "Your name's Connelly right? Is Tyler gonna be okay?"

"Here, let me show you," Rose Connelly, Alexis guessed from previous eavesdropped conversations, said. "There are a few indications that he'll be all right…"

Ari generally believed anything she was told if she didn't understand how the initial process worked. She was going to be sufficiently distracted for a while.

Rose's partner visibly relaxed once she was away from the threat. He reverted his attention to Alexis as she approached the pair. "Guys, I have an idea that you're enemies, and you're going to hate me for suggesting this, but if we have a remote chance of getting this damn operation to run smoothly, then you're all going to have to work together," she snapped.

Barricade looked stunned. "We are going to have to work with _them?_" he hissed.

"Yeah, did Tobias not give you the rundown or were you too busy plotting to pay attention?" Alexis snapped.

Barricade offered a wicked grin. "Speaking of meetings, _Tobias_ wants to speak to you, your pesky friend, and…" he said, hesitating, and then said, "_them."_

Alexis could sense the other robot's agitation, and suspected that she was pressing Barricade's buttons and the Hummer knew it. She leaned in and said, "So are you going, or are you not, oh, I don't know, _brave_ enough to go?" Alexis smirked and turned to walk away. She pretended to pause, frowning. "Whatever is Starscream going to say when he found out that his comrade ditched him and left him at the mercy of four of his enemies?"

Barricade snarled and stalked away.

It took an hour to convince the Hummer, whose name was Ratchet, to at least come along to hear what Tobias had in mind. Ari drove ahead of them but behind Barricade (she refused to go ahead of him because she claimed that it would look like she was getting chased again). Alexis stayed with Tyler in the back of the Hummer, just to provide company. Rose stayed in the back as well, keeping a constant monitor on Tyler's condition. He had finally passed out, weary of the day's activities. Rose finally told Alexis en route that Tyler was the one recurring patient she'd ever had, including her time spent in the Mission City hospital.

_La Bailarina_ was just as Ari had described it; rundown to the point where it looked ridiculous. The sign above the tavern was crooked, there was a Rottweiler tied up outside the front door, growling at them all. A man was sitting on the railing, a long rifle leaning against his shoulder. He eyed them as they approached, and seemed to be fingering the trigger.

Alexis hesitated briefly, and then continued walking, allowing Barricade to take the lead. Out of the corner of her eye, Alexis saw Rose's hand drop to her waist and grip something that was hidden underneath the yellow jacket. The man seemed to catch the warning and he slipped off the railing and vanished around back.

"Creep," Ari muttered darkly as she kicked the door open.

It wasn't hard to find the others; a loud argument was in full swing and Tobias was interfering. When they entered the room, Alexis was a little surprised to find familiar and unfamiliar faces in the room. Out of all everybody, Ari and Tobias were the only two not clued in to the secret of the Transformers.

Tobias was in between the holograms of Starscream and Ironhide, holding them off from attacking each other. Lennox was talking quietly with an unfamiliar yet tall man while Epps was standing by a younger man. Ari wasn't lying earlier; there were two teenagers who wanted to get involved who were standing nearby. Ratchet joined his comrades on their side of the rickety table in the middle of the room, Rose following him, silent and carefully observant.

"Captain, I was starting to get worried about you," Tobias said cheerfully as he pushed Starscream off to the side. He lowered his hand from Ironhide's chest, and Ironhide backed up to the safety of his comrades. "Especially since these two wanted to spill blood seconds before you walked in."

"I could tell," Alexis said, catching Ari's collar between two fingers as her friend began to wander off. "Tobias, do you have your firepower now?"

Tobias nodded. "Lennox and I set something up already," he said, grinning. He frowned, and then asked, "Where is Tyler?"

"With the paramedic's permission, you and Ari are going to rescue him from the Search & Rescue and get him back to Andrews," Alexis said, crossing her arms.

Tobias thought about it, and then said, "Ari can take him back to Andrews. You're welcome to go with her."

"No. You're not getting rid of me that easily. Just take Ari, put Tyler in the car and take him back to Andrews," Alexis said. When Tobias opened his mouth, she snapped, "That's an order."

Tobias sighed, and then said, "I'll put him in the car and Motor Mouth can take him back to Andrews. There have been a few developments that you have to hear."

"Can't wait," Alexis said sarcastically as he left the room, Ari in tow. She glanced in Starscream's direction and asked, "You rang, Your Majesty?"

There were a few polite coughs from Epps, one of the teens, and the young man whose name she didn't know. Starscream scowled, and said, "I did not 'ring' for you."

"So what do you want then?" Alexis snapped.

One of the other men spoke before Starscream could. "There is apparently a political issue that seems to center around us, and we merely wished for a sanctuary for the time being, and not to be a problem," he said, coming forward. "Our presence is evidently causing such a problem, and we would be willing to leave to ensure the safety of your leader's female offspring."

This had to be the leader, Optimus Prime. Starscream's tight expression was certainly a good indication of that. "Um, if this is about Lynch, well, Tobias has that under control," Alexis said, figuring out another reason why she shouldn't serve as negotiator. She was useless in the diplomacy department. "Knowing Lynch and Sector Seven, Lynch probably set up a lose-lose situation for the president and you guys as well."

"He did," Tobias said, walking in on his own. "That's the new development I was trying to tell you about. Stryker and I perused his files which are twenty years old or so. Lynch always hated losing, and rigged bets and games so he would win."

"Sore loser then?" Alexis asked tiredly, and Tobias nodded.

"I can think of another one," Barricade muttered loud enough for everyone to hear while looking purposefully at Ironhide.

"As it is often said around here, it takes one to know one," Ironhide shot back.

Barricade snarled and charged. Ironhide, always the fighter and eager for a challenge, braced himself for the attack. Alexis was among the few who backed away; Barricade looked fully prepared to leap the table. She was smart enough to stay out of this confrontation.

But someone wasn't.

"_FREEZE!"_

Both combatants froze. Alexis and Tobias were roughly shoved aside as Ari stormed through between them. She seized Barricade's collar and Ironhide's collar, and pulled both into the center over the table at the same time. A sharp crack echoed through the room as their heads connected, and Alexis guessed that only happened because they were caught off guard.

Ari did not release them however for she was happily oblivious to the fact that she was manhandling a Decepticon and a weapons-happy Autobot. "I want the two of you to shut up and listen," she growled. "I am tired. I am hungry. I am worried. Tonight, I just accidentally hit my flight partner and best friend with a damn car. I haven't had decent night's sleep for days. I was chased by an eighteen-wheeler yesterday, and don't you dare laugh because it wasn't funny."

No one laughed. Alexis was still recovering from the shock of Ari's temper.

"Now listen, _children_. I wouldn't really care about your age, even if you were thousands of years old. The point is you're both acting like two-year olds," Ari snapped, pulling them in a little closer. "Stryker looks like the perfect gentleman compared to you two, and that is saying a lot." She released them, and stalked over to Starscream. "As for you buddy, you need to show a little more respect for your superior. Alexis can get you discharged within seconds if she so chose to."

Alexis was starting to get uncomfortable with this… something wasn't right. "I'll be right back," she said, interrupting Ari's rant.

"I'm coming with you," Rose said. She touched Ratchet's arm briefly, as if to reassure him, and then headed into the kitchen after Alexis.

Alexis bent down and rifled through the cupboards as Rose entered behind her. "Wherever did Tobias find this place?" Rose asked, giving the dingy kitchen a look-over with a faint expression of disgust.

"I don't know, and I find it better not to ask," Alexis said, scowling as she flicked a spider away. She pulled out several packages in the cupboard and asked, "Which do you prefer, coffee or tea?"

"Tea please… here, I can brew it," Rose said, taking the smaller packages from Alexis's hands. She scanned the labels, and then selected one of the packages. Alexis managed to get the wheezing coffee maker going as Rose began to heat the water in an old black teakettle that had obviously seen better days. When Alexis leaned against the counter to wait, Rose asked, "What is being planned?"

"An operation to spring the president's daughter. Tyler and I were going to find paramedics to provide medical attention if necessary," Alexis explained. "But I don't want to pressure you into…"

"We can do it," Rose said, cutting Alexis off. She inclined her head and said, "Ratchet and I can do it, even if it means cooperating with the Decepticons for now." She turned away briefly, as if in thought, and then she turned her head around again and said, "Between you and me, I think Optimus was inclined to do so when he was first approached about this plan of yours."

"More like Tobias's plan," Alexis said, turning around to finish preparing the coffee. "He's been working on this with Starscream for two days now."

Rose nodded, and she opened the package to pull out a small teabag. She prepared the tea in chipped mug, the best she could find in the dusty cupboards, and then took a sip. She grimaced, but remarked, "It may not be the best, but it's better than nothing."

Alexis grinned as she poured the black coffee into another mug and said, "That's America's low-rate service for us nowadays. Better than nothing."

"I just need it to soothe my nerves," Rose said, taking another sip. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing towards the door that led to the next room.

"Hopefully everybody is still in one piece," Alexis muttered as she followed Rose out the kitchen door and back into the room.

Everyone was, except for Tobias who was restraining Ari from taking another swipe at Ironhide and Barricade. Tobias was wearing a torn jacket and had several long scratch marks on his exposed forearms. Alexis walked calmly over and handed the coffee over to Ari. The struggling ceased, and Ari transformed from the vicious persona she'd been earlier to the same, klutzy friend that Alexis knew so well.

"If you don't mind captain, I'll make sure everyone is on the same page with their roles. It'll be the same stuff you heard this morning, so you can take Collins and Motor Mouth back to Andrews. Everything is all set with the forces we have there," Tobias suggested, looking concerned.

"Sure?" Alexis asked warily.

Tobias nodded.

She turned to Starscream and said, "You'll fill me in tomorrow morning before we set out. I am not going to let you dodge that order." Then she turned, helping Ari along. It had been a long day, and they all needed their wits about them for the attack tomorrow morning.

------------

The deer stood momentarily in the middle of the road, its black eyes reflecting the bright headlights of the blue Dodge pickup that was hurtling towards it. Then it bounded away into the surrounding woods, a stream of Italian curses following it.

"I've always hated being in the woods. That is why I chose a city to live in," Luigi growled, his knuckles still white as he maintained the death grip on the steering wheel. "Nothing to worry about except police, bad-tempered military officials, and transforming trucks. Three things compared to the multitude of horrors in forests."

Thomas 'Tom' Wilson looked at Luigi from the passenger seat. "You didn't have to come," he reminded the irate Italian.

"You could've flown," Luigi shot back. "You didn't have to drive across the entire country."

"I was perfectly capable of driving myself. You were the one who wanted in on the gig in case there were goodies to be divvied up at the end," Tom reminded him. "It's my left leg that's screwed up; I could've driven an automatic transmission all by myself."

"Fine. _We _could've flown instead of wearing my truck down," Luigi said smugly, confident that he had won this spat.

He was wrong.

"I'm a wanted man. Don't you think that if I got caught again, the authorities would soon know whom exactly to thank for busting me out in the first place? Then the precious Dodge and your transforming truck would be the least of your problems. So we couldn't have flown," Tom countered, and judging from his friend's silence, knew he had won for sure.

Luigi muttered something dark about something along the lines of Tom in front of the speeding Dodge as he checked the sketched map Tom had supplied. "Are you sure that your old friend will even allow us entry much less an audience?" he asked, refocusing his eyes on the road.

"That's why backup plans were invented, but please try to have a little faith in me," Tom said reassuringly, but kept his own private doubts to himself. He no longer carried his security measure around with him; the Area 51 security team had confiscated the rifle for evidence in the general's death. Then they had trussed him up like an animal and threw him into the back of the damn police truck.

Crowley had to have gotten some measure of entertainment from that. Tom was planning to kill the security captain for that injustice.

"We should be there in ten minutes, give or take a few," Luigi said, checking the digital clock with the handwritten times on the map. "Now will you tell me exactly why we are attempting this?"

Tom sighed. "I can't tell you because I know you're going to talk me out of it the second I do. So I am going to keep you in the dark as long as possible," he said, bracing himself so he could pull out the typed email from Lynch so that he could show the entry guards that he did in fact have a legitimate reason for showing up.

"Then answer this question. Why the trip to the hospital earlier today if you do not wish to be seen?" Luigi asked, glancing at Tom.

Tom grimaced from the seemingly innocent question. "I needed painkillers badly," he finally answered after considering his response. "My last round was three days before I was forcibly removed from Area 51 and cut off from Sasquatch, the doctor there. I went under a false name at the hospital, just to eliminate a trail. They may not know about the murder out here in DC, but I don't want Keller's goons to pick up on my trail here and alert everyone."

Luigi nodded but didn't say anything.

The Dodge wound the twisted road for what seemed like hours until it arrived to the entrance of a field surrounded by trees. If one peered hard enough through the dark, they would see what appeared to be a harmless, abandoned warehouse. But Tom had been here years ago, and knew better than to fall for its calm appearance. He knew that behind those walls were enough guns to take down a small army, especially now since Lynch was undoubtedly bracing himself for retaliation for the stupid maneuver he'd done.

The pickup came to a halt outside of the nearly invisible gate. Tom silently passed the printed email to Luigi, who handed it out to the invisible guard. There were a few moments of silence, and then the guard handed the paper back, followed by a faint screeching sound as the gate slid back. Then the pickup headed into the heavily guarded compound. Luigi parked in the makeshift garage that apparently hadn't seen the light of day in years; there were rusted jeeps and even a few broken tanks taking up most of the space. The room itself was huge, and if Tom remembered correctly, the halls and rooms of the old barracks could rival the Sector Seven – Hoover Dam facility in size.

Luigi got out of the driver's door, and waited for Tom to join him. Tom was the person in charge now, since he knew Ross Lynch on a personal level and had some secret plan that was so bad to the point that Luigi would be tempted to talk him out of it.

"Come on. If Lynch is bold enough to kidnap the president's daughter, then he's not going to hesitate shooting us if we don't move it," Tom said, once again restricted to using the cane. In the few months after Mission City, he'd learned to walk on his own without using the cane, a little trick that came in handy just this morning. He frowned… he'd have to cut his visits to Andrews to a minimum of one, especially since _that_ pilot nearly snuffed him out today…

"Thomas!"

He sighed and looked up to see Lynch approaching him, arms wide open and a grin on his face. Tom accepted the comradely hug, and then Lynch stepped back to look him over. Luigi wisely faded behind Tom and out of sight.

"I'm sorry to hear about the whole arresting mix-up," Lynch said, gesturing for Tom and Luigi to follow him. "Thank you Luigi for freeing him. Wilson was always a klutz and troublemaker."

"I wasn't the one brazen enough to sass Stanton in public two years ago. She looked liked she wanted to skin you alive when you called her 'an intellectually and socially inferior citizen'," Tom reminded Lynch, who shrugged.

"It's all in the past now, and General Stanton will fade away in time. She will go down in history as a traitor if anything," Lynch said, walking up the stairs. He paused at the top of the staircase so Tom and Luigi could catch up. "Sorry about the stairs. It's just we wanted the living quarters to be on the upper floors that's all."

"Trying to avoid something or someone?" Tom asked as he joined Lynch at the top. He followed Lynch as the latter continued walking. The hall before them was wider than Tom remembered, probably big enough to handle a vehicle or two… or maybe something else. He realized then that the entire floor above had been removed except for a strip around the edges. The strip of floor was wide enough so that the soldiers could walk around the expanse area and not only have a good firing position, but keep an eye on the activities on the floor below, namely the activities of their hostage.

"I'm sure that with Stanton's former connections, you know all about the Autobots and Decepticons?" Lynch asked, and Tom nodded. "Well, when I did capture the president's daughter, I knew that if anything, only one faction would be after me, and not the other. If you observe them carefully enough, their rivalry runs so deep that they would never dream of even a temporary alliance to achieve the same goals. That is why these barracks have been fortified to withstand the assault from four of those giants. Believe me, this place wouldn't withstand a double assault, so that is why I am not afraid of them coming here."

"I heard you killed a Joint Chief recently. How did you handle that?" Tom asked, keeping pace with Lynch. Luigi, he noticed, was pretending to be examining his surroundings, but Tom knew that the Italian was waiting until the monetary gains portion of the evening began if it was in the evening's agenda.

"That was a miracle of itself. Agent White successfully maimed the two guards who were at his holding cell, stole the keys, and poisoned Thayer's dinner before escaping. He did that all while evading that brute of an Autobot, the black one," Lynch said, and Tom could hear the pride in his old friend's voice. Lynch turned to Tom and said, "I must admit I was surprised to hear that you killed the general, especially when I thought you were too far gone as one of her converts. That was impression I got when we ran into each other at that little coffee shop last year and discussed her death as a possibility. Did you finally get sick of being ordered around?"

Tom nodded, mentally shuddering at the memory. "Did you get the translations in the mail?" he asked.

"Yes I did. However did you hide them from Stanton?" Lynch asked curiously.

"Two of the pilots in the squadron weren't getting along very well at the time so I just had to wait until the general was dealing with them to sneak them off," Tom replied. "I apologize for the delay; I had to wait for the destabilization of the general before sending them."

"I understand," Lynch said reassuringly as they walked into more brightly lit and better-furnished halls in the old barracks. "As of right now," he said, "Agent White is on his way here, we lost agent 24, and you, agent 26, is here with us now."

"Wow I get a number?" Tom asked with sarcastic enthusiasm. "What was White's designation?"

"He was designation number 25. It was a real shame we lost 24 though… he was one of our best," Lynch remarked sadly, no doubt thinking of the dead agent. "Tom, did you see how he died?"

"How would I know how he died if I don't even know who the guy was?" Tom snapped, but Lynch leaned forward and whispered something in Tom's ear. Luigi suspected that it was the identity of Agent 24, because Tom looked slightly surprised. Tom recovered himself though, and then whispered the answer to Lynch's question in Lynch's ear. Luigi tried not to be irritated; Tom did say that there was a possibility that sensitive information would be discussed, and it was agreed before departure that Luigi would not be privy to such information.

"Well, that certainly changes things. Crowley didn't suspect the agent's purpose though correct?" Lynch asked anxiously.

"I don't think he cared. Arresting me was more fun than investigating victims," Tom said, a wry grin inching onto his face.

The sound of a high-pitched female voice drew Tom's attention to a nearby door. He looked questioningly at Lynch, who grimaced and gesture for him to follow. The three men came to a stop outside a door and Lynch opened it. "Look at what the little princess did to us," he said, suddenly sounding weary and exhausted.

Tom clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the snort of amusement. Samara had her captors wrapped around her little finger, and she seemed aware of the fact. The room serving as her quarters had pink, glittery swaths of material strung about on the wall, decorating the otherwise drab room. On the blue and green rug that looked like it had been pulled out of storage, she had set up a small table with four chairs around it. She was still in the white nightgown she'd been wearing when she was kidnapped, but she was straight in her seat, acting like a little princess. The other three chairs were occupied by three of Lynch's agents, the unlucky trio assigned to guard her. On the table itself, there was a plastic tea set with four places made. Tom guessed that there was water in the pitcher, and that the four of them were eating what looked like army rations. The guards on the other hand looked as though they were undergoing torture.

"Mister Lynch, is that the man who is going to rescue me?" she asked once she spotted the three of them at the door.

Lynch put on a fake but forced smile. "Of course not Samara. He's with the film crews, filming his journey," he patiently explained.

"Will I get a pink dress like you promised for when you film my part?" she asked, raising her eyebrow and looking very much like her father.

"Of course sweetheart. Just keep enjoying your tea party, and excuse our intrusion," Lynch assured her and then shut the door. Tom began laughing at Lynch's pained expression.

"She's the reason I'm never going to get married or have kids," Lynch said, shuddering at the memory. "The men regard it as a punishment to watch the little nightmare, and I treat it as so too. We only oblige her because I don't want a difficult brat to deal with on top of everything, plus the fact that I promised her star treatment since she was the president's daughter. It was the only way to ensure that she would be compliant with me."

"Yeah, well, here's another reason not to get married. The president is sending a negotiator with a group of SWAT officers to reason things through out with you tomorrow evening," Tom said, watching his friend. At this point, he noted that Luigi had done as instructed by falling behind the pair, examining his surroundings.

Lynch sighed. "I told him to either accept or reject _all_ my conditions. So far, the only one he's complied with is paying the medical bills," he said. He turned to Tom and said, "I haven't told anyone, but the president is going to lose either way. If he accepts my conditions, then the Autobots leave America. If he rejects my conditions, not only does he lose his daughter, but also, I will use my latest weapon to shut the Autobots down for good. Then we can use them for guinea pigs in advancing our own technology."

"Have I ever told you what a brilliant mastermind you are? You could almost top Luigi over here," Tom said, smirking at Lynch's frown.

"Almost top?" Lynch asked in a slightly threatening manner. "I kidnapped a member of the First Family right from underneath the Secret Service's nose."

"Yeah, but Luigi jumped a police van and freed me, all without killing a single soul. Pacifism is his latest fad," Tom said jokingly, and Lynch grinned again. Tom then sobered and said, "Do what you will, but bear in mind that there are still a few Decepticons hanging around. Once the Autobots are history, then we're next on the menu." Tom laughed, a harsh sound even to his ears. "Hell, the maniacal Decepticon that you said Prime was fretting about a couple weeks ago is in charge of the Four-oh-first now. Stanton didn't know about him when she promoted him to captain."

"Great," Lynch muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Today an Air Force squadron, tomorrow the entire branch of the military." He looked up at Tom and asked, "Don't you still have a friend within the four-oh-first?"

"Yeah, but I don't think that he'll be willing to take out Starscream on his own. He may be brave; there is no way he'll take Starscream out. He'd even risk being charged for insubordination," Tom said, eyeing Lynch carefully. "Ross, call this operation off. Someone is going to get hurt and hurt bad if you don't back down."

"I can't. I came too far to fail," Lynch snapped. There were a few moments of silence, broken only by the sound of loud coughing from Samara's room. The coughing turned to hacking, which was closely followed by crying. Lynch snarled to himself and shouted, "Keep her quiet! We don't want to alert any lost travelers!"

Tom looked at Lynch as Lynch looked at him. Tom's jaw flexed as he worked to keep his tongue and temper under control before saying, "Throughout history, bargaining chips are generally effective when they're healthy, alive, and in good condition. Do you think you can keep her healthy and quiet when she becomes overdue for her shots tomorrow?" Tom raised an eyebrow and asked, "Can you negotiate when the negotiators arrive tomorrow, or at least in nine hours from now? Can you sufficiently defend your little fort? Can you handle all that at once?"

The two men stared at each other, and Luigi backed away from them. The two men were ex-members of the armed forces, and it was painfully obvious that they kept themselves in top condition. Tom had the weakness of his mechanized leg, but Lynch had the weakness of pride. If it really came to a brawl, Luigi would only be able to fend off any reinforcements, but had no hope of separating the fighters.

It was when Samara began crying for her mother did the spell between the two potential combatants broke. Tom leaned on his cane and said, "So, want me to grab anything before I come back tomorrow same time?"

Lynch thought over it for a few moments, and then answered, "Yes, I'm going to need more ammunition for tomorrow night, especially if the president doesn't back down and make his decision. Just the usual stuff okay?" He hesitated, and then added, "Oh, and while you're at it, maybe grab some basic foodstuffs from the grocery market. The boys and I are getting sick of years-old army rations. I'll reimburse you when you bring the stuff tomorrow."

Tom shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure thing. I'll see myself out. See you tomorrow night," he said, and then beckoned for Luigi to follow him

The Italian remained quiet until they were back in the blue Dodge and pulling out of the secret compound. "You do realize that he needs the ammo to possibly kill the girl tomorrow night correct?" he asked, and scowled when Tom nodded. "Then why are you delivering his stuff to him tomorrow night?" he demanded, traveling slowly in case another damn deer decided to pop out in front of the vehicle again.

Tom snorted as he made himself more comfortable in the passenger seat. "You can go there tomorrow night. I'm not going… if everything runs smoothly, then there won't even be a need to show up tomorrow night," he said rather confidently.

"Where do you think you will be tomorrow night?"

Tom thought about for a few moments, and then said, "Tomorrow night at this time, I'm going to be opening a bottle of champagne in my little apartment in DC."

"You sound rather confident of something my friend," Luigi observed.

Tom shrugged. "That's life. Enjoy the now, plan the future," he said, and then closed his eyes for some rest.

-------------------

A/N: Hello I'm back... exams are done. As a heads-up, there is going to be a serious irregularity with updating, but I'm planning things so that the breaks between chapters don't exceed a week and a half at the latest. One question: did the chapter seemed rushed? If so, do you have any suggestions for slowing things down?


	37. Endgame

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Endgame

The next day was greeted the rosy color of dawn across the purple expanse of sky. For once, there were no clouds, but Tobias Jackson knew well enough that there was going to be a rainstorm later in the afternoon, preceded in the morning by clouds. The sky now was going to be covered once again in an hour or so. Tobias didn't care; in fact he liked that because the sun would only expose the soldiers who wanted to remain hidden in the forest borders surrounding the old barracks.

He sighed. He never got nervous before an operation; in general, he was usually experiencing the adrenaline growing in his systems. In the past, Tobias had participated in many operations, and even conducted five on his own. He grimaced when he remembered how four of those ended; one ended in temporary arrest, two ended in complete and dismal failure, and the fourth failed to launch because of infighting amongst the participants. Perhaps he was only anxious now because there were six, giant, aliens in the ranks along with a ragtag team of army soldiers and a squadron that kept shrinking. Tobias shook his head to clear out the negative thoughts; four 318th pilots had volunteered to fill in the gaps in the 401st squadron to keep it at the standard sixteen, the army soldiers had their work cut out for them, and Lennox was going to help him with the aliens.

Tobias didn't want to offend the aliens any further than he already had.

"Still here?"

Tobias turned to face the newcomer, and then smiled tiredly as Tom Wilson joined him on the rooftop. The pair overlooked the fields neighboring Andrews for a few silent moments, and then Tobias admitted, "I couldn't sleep last night. Had a nightmare that I died in combat before I could tell Lucy how much I loved her."

Tom snorted unsympathetically. "Then join me in retirement after all this. Hand in the slip, and then skedaddle off to the church with her," he said, leaning on his cane. He was still wearing his civilian clothing; he would have to go get prepped soon. "After all this blows over, I'm going to hand in my resignation and move to Nepal."

"I don't think the Nepal government will appreciate accepting a fugitive as an immigrant, especially if the United States goes global with your wanted poster," Tobias teased.

Tom scowled. "Then I'll drop off the map completely," he snapped crossly.

Tobias grinned at the response, but sobered when a thought occurred to him. "Just as a FYI, I told Starscream yesterday morning that Lynch was to be kept alive. I'm going to tell him before we set out that Lynch is a reserved target for the strike team."

Tom scrunched his face in disapproval. "In other words, we're going to offer a juicy opportunity to defy orders. Just cause Lynch is a reserved target isn't going to stop Starscream from trying anyway," the ex-sergeant pointed out.

"True, but if we compromised Preston, he'll be too distracted with her to worry about targeting Lynch. You've already seen it at Area 51 when her jet went kaput. We tested Starscream the night we arrived, the night of the ambush," Tobias said. "Remember the sniper we paid to specifically target her then? His shot was dead on… would've gotten her head if Starscream hadn't reacted. Then you gave away her physical description to Barricade and said she was the mastermind who sent him down Devil's Run when we both knew it was really Aliskevicz. I think that Starscream left Andrews to personally interfere."

"Yeah, I did the talking, you did the observing. I hated doing that," Tom grumbled loud enough for Tobias to hear. "I just remember that the sniper had a ridiculous price."

"I thought we hired one of our guys," Tobias asked, puzzled.

Tom scowled. "If you remember, everyone charges hush money in case the job goes down the tubes," he snapped. "So how are you going to distract Starscream later today?"

"I have an idea, but it's going to be tricky getting into contact," Tobias replied.

"Huh. Do what you will, but if the captain dies, I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself," Tom warned, and Tobias nodded, knowing that despite the bad leg, Tom was still very capable of murder. He checked his watch, and then said, "Give this to Preston. It should help the convoy leader out." Tobias accepted the folded sheet of paper, and tucked it away into a pocket. Tom waited until Tobias was finished, and then said; "Sasquatch's package arrived last night, so here it is. The paralysis toxin has already been removed."

Tobias gingerly accepted the black case from Tom as though he was accepting a live bomb. Although it was the most ordinary and plain case ever to be manufactured in the United States, its contents were enough to get Tobias thrown into prison for life, death, and for the duration of human existence. Whatever the option, Tobias knew that if caught red-handed, he would never see the light of day ever again.

"I already told you about what each bottle does. Repeat the information to the medic. Tell what's-her-name to only concern herself with the bottles that are actually in there, not with what's missing," Tom instructed, watching Tobias carefully.

"For your information, her name is Rose Connelly, and you just don't like doctors in general. But if it's any comfort, she doesn't like me at all," Tobias assured him.

Tom narrowed his eyes, but did not deny the accusation. "Did Lynch get the bait?" he asked.

"When he was coherent, I asked Collins if he saw the guard personally take the fake note from the captain, and he said yes. The captain had no idea that she did what you wanted her to do," Tobias said. "We're just lucky she didn't read it and increase our chances of messing up."

"Are you kidding? We're lucky that he didn't actually take it to Keller; the secretary is returning later this afternoon, so I think this party is going to be over by noon," Tom said, glancing back out to the horizon. "How did you get the Decepticons to cooperate with the Autobots?" he asked finally.

Tobias shrugged. "Got the courage when Ari knocked them around a bit, and took them aside at the end. Told them that if the humans eliminated the Autobots, then they were the next to go," he said. He frowned, and then added, "If you ask me, Starscream and Barricade have been a little too compliant lately."

"How'd you convince Ironhide?"

"Just reiterated Ari's point about the apparent lack of maturity," Tobias answered, remembering Ari's brief temper flash the night before. Good chance she'd forgotten all about it by now.

"Nice. Speaking of maturity, I'm going to introduce Luigi to Optimus Prime after all this. The idiot is convinced that Optimus is the physical manifestation of some ancestral curse come back to haunt him for his past sins," Tom said, turning to leave.

"In that case, you probably shouldn't say anything. Get rid of a Mission City crime-lord that way," Tobias said jokingly. "See you later Tom."

Tom scowled. "The dunce was more useful to us as a crime-lord," he grumbled as he finally limped away. "You can kid around about it because you don't have to put up with him 24/7. I don't even have a damned rifle or the authorization to properly deal with the problem."

Tobias waited until Tom's footsteps finally faded away before he too went back indoors, albeit slowly. He hadn't been lying when he told Tom that Rose disliked him, and she had very good reason to do so. It all started when he met Ratchet for the first time. After Starscream had gone into recharge the first night at Andrews after the ambush, Tobias had slipped out of the military base to convene with Tom in the capital. Since he was vehicle-less and wasn't aware of the small fleet at Andrews available for employee use, he tried to hijack the first vehicle to come his way on the road. Walking all the way to the capital wasn't appealing at midnight or so. Rose did not take to the sudden invasion kindly, and it was understandable that she reacted in self-defense. The altercation ended with Tobias lying on his back in the middle of the road with the business end of a small handgun aimed directly between his eyes. Tom of course found the whole story entertaining, and got a couple of good laughs from Tobias's ending of the story. Ever since then though, Tobias was now smart enough to stay on Rose's good side, but she seemed to retain some general dislike of him.

When he entered the parking garage, he stopped. Rose was sitting on the top of the Hummer's hood, a worn book open in her hands. She was leaning on Ratchet's chest, and he appeared to be reading over her shoulder. Judging from the small frown on Rose's face, this was apparently an exercise to soothe pre-operation jitters. Feeling like an intruder, Tobias carefully backed out of the garage so that he would not make any noise and be noticed.

So he forgot about the ultra-sensitive sensors that were common amongst the Autobots. "What is it that you need Tobias?" Ratchet asked calmly when Tobias was on the threshold. Tobias had never heard the medic raise his voice for anything, but for some odd reason, Ironhide warned him not to aggravate the Autobot medic too much

Tobias shuffled in grinning sheepishly as Rose slid off the hood and tucked the book away. "I've just got two items that you're going to want for today," he said as Rose approached him. He smiled tentatively as she stopped in front of him, and then un-zippered the case to reveal the contents.

"What are those?" Rose asked, carefully taking the case from to examine the two small bottles better.

"One is a substance of questionable legality and the other is pilfered medicine that had been under high security up to about now," Tobias answered. "The green bottle is Samara's medicine, and the blue bottle is the antidote to a paralysis toxin. You do not need to worry about the toxin."

"What about the missing three?" she asked, gesturing to the three empty slots in the cushion.

Despite Tom's orders to keep that information hush-hush, Tobias felt that Rose deserved a response… especially with an Autobot sitting about five feet behind her, listening carefully. Besides, one of the standing orders that took precedent over Tom's authority was never to deliberately withhold information from the Autobots or any of their allies. "Um, okay," Tobias said, racking through his memory for what the last three bottles were. "One of the three bottles was taken out by Tom, the second was given to you in the white packet, and the third was taken out by the head doctor at Area 51. I don't remember what their functions were."

That last part was a small lie. Tobias knew that the bottle Tom took was the toxin itself, and that the second and third bottles were opposites of each other. Rose studied the two bottles in the case and then asked, "These are to be injected no doubt?"

"I would offer to have a strike team to back you up, but I don't want to insult Ratchet," Tobias said.

"I am certainly capable of protecting Miss Connelly from any perceived outside threats," the Hummer rumbled, and Tobias wasn't sure if Ratchet was miffed or not.

"Especially when said threats think they can just use whatever vehicle has the misfortune of crossing their path," Rose said, zippering the case closed. Tobias winced at the discreet reminder of their first meeting, but Rose continued speaking as though she hadn't seen it. "Thank you Tobias for giving me the case," she said, looking up at him. "Any other instructions?"

"Yes. You'll be entering with the convoy, but when the fighting breaks out, sneak around back and enter through that way. The entrance should be big enough to handle Ratchet in vehicle mode, and then the hall with Samara's room should be big enough to tolerate the robot mode. Seeing that this is an abandoned army barracks, the floors are reinforced with steel and cement," Tobias said. "Good luck Connelly, and maybe afterwards we can patch up the issues between us."

"Perhaps," she replied, tucking the case away. "Good luck then I suppose."

Tobias nodded, and then walked back into the main base.

--------------

"Is the armor plating underneath really necessary? It makes you look fatter than usual."

Alexis stopped pinning her hair up and glared at Ari. "Didn't your parents ever teach you the phrase, 'If you've got nothing nice to say, then don't say it at all'?" she asked irritably. She paused, and then asked, "Are you ready to go? We're leaving in an hour."

"Yeah, I'm ready to go. You know, if I followed that piece of advice, I'd be pretty quiet," Ari said, flopping down back into bed. "You know those two teens from yesterday? Turns out the boy Sam has this unhealthy attachment to the Camaro. I guess I would too if I didn't have auto insurance either."

"How do I look?" Alexis asked after finishing the small bun that was the requested hairstyle. She was wearing an unmarked black uniform that had kilt-like attachment around the pant legs, an apparently bulletproof covering. The top was any standard business suit, and Alexis hated it. Underneath the clothing however, she wore the same armor that the army soldiers were wearing, which was a light armor-weave suit with plates covering the critical parts of her body. The only indication of the armor underneath was the boots, which were actually a part of her Air Force pilot uniform.

Ari peeked over the edge of the bunk and studied Alexis's uniform critically. She shrugged. "I'm a little prejudiced against government employees and their lack of fashion, but I guess you look the part," she finally said. She grinned and said, "But I bet Stryker will think you look pretty… you've practically got him wrapped around your little finger. I'm just waiting for the kissing part; that'll be an awesome addition to the scrapbook I'm working on for the two of you. Just don't tell Stryker though… I want my book to survive to see the end of this week."

"Sure thing," Alexis said, checking her appearance in the mirror one last time. She completed the outfit by slipping a small firearm into the holster that was underneath the waistband of the pants. The holster itself was attached to the armor underneath. Ari was right; the armor underneath the business apparel did make her figure look bulkier than normal. It was worth the discomfort though, especially when the armor saved her life.

"Come on Ari," she finally said. She leaned down and picked up the headset that would connect her to Starscream. When Ari wasn't looking, she slipped the headset into her jacket pocket. She picked up her jacket and slung it over her arm as Ari climbed down from the top bunk. Alexis left the room, but soon heard the pitter-patter of Ari's footsteps behind her.

The two women headed first to the med wing to wish Tyler good-bye and Ari promised to see him later. Riley was fast asleep, but Tyler was unusually quiet and ashen-faced. He only managed a weak nod in greeting when Ari came by his bedside, but no coherent words. He looked extremely worn out.

After the med wing, the two women headed down to the parking garage, entering a great hubbub of activity. Four vehicles were lined up at the entrance, Barricade taking the lead, Optimus bringing up the rear. Soldiers were making the last-minute preparations, and two were carrying a dangerous-looking weapon into the trailer that was attached to the truck cab.

Predictably, Starscream and Tobias were at the center of all the activity. Starscream was reviewing the plan of action that was written on two sheets of paper while Tobias was delivering last-minute orders. As the women approached, Tobias turned and grinned when he saw them. "Told you that you would look nice," he said, winking. "By the way, good idea with the armor plates." He frowned, and then suggested, "You might want to take the captain's insignia off ma'am, just in case someone identifies you as the leader."

"Keep the leader alive at all costs," Ari hissed in Alexis's ear as Alexis reluctantly took the insignia off its position on the uniform she'd been wearing. She nudged Starscream's ankle with her foot to get his attention.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, evidently concerned. He took her shoulder and pulled her away from Ari and Tobias. Catching on, Tobias asked Ari a few questions for clarification on her knowledge of her role, something that would involve a few in-depth answers.

Alexis looked down at his soft tone, gathered her courage and sincerity, looked up at him, and then ordered, "Hold out your hand." Starscream frowned but complied. "Give me one reason to doubt you and regret this decision, one complaint from a pilot under your command, and I will mark you and Barricade as double agents," she warned as she dropped the captain's insignia into his open palm. "I will not step in when Ironhide hears that it is okay to tear you both to pieces, and yes, I know about him."

Starscream offered her a half-smile and said, "Remember what I said about needing to be a little more trusting? I'm not going to stab you in the back Captain, especially when I stand to lose something from that." With that he leaned forward and kissed her lightly and quickly. He was still smiling in a coy manner when he straightened.

"Foul play!" Ari howled from behind him. Alexis flushed as Ari whirled on Tobias and shrieked, "You freaking distracted me on purpose just to let them kiss when I was standing right here!" Her voice carried throughout the hangar, and a few sniggers echoed around the hangar at Ari's dismay and Tobias's trickery. "Damn it Tobias, I'm going to kill you when you interfere in my life like that again!" Ari half-screamed. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for that?"

"Obviously very long," Tobias answered, grinning now. "All right Ari, I won't distract you the next time Davis and Preston need a private moment or two."

"How do you stand her?" Starscream hissed to her.

Alexis shrugged. "You kind of have to get used to it," she answered.

Starscream merely grunted and then turned on his heel and walked away towards the other assembling pilots. Alexis meanwhile snatched Tobias's collar and pulled him off to a quiet corner. "How is General Farthingale not going to catch onto all this?" she asked.

"Relax. He had a party last night here and he's going to wake up around noon with one of the worst hangovers in his life. Call it a hunch," Tobias said, winking again. "Here are a few loose ends that you don't need to worry about. The yellow Camaro was used to sneak ahead and scope out the terrain. Lynch is expecting us to show up later this afternoon, so we're going to surprise him this morning. Now do you want to ride in the GMC or the cruiser? Lennox will keep you company in the truck, the cop will be in the cruiser. Your call," Tobias explained.

"I'll take my chances with the GMC. Do I have to go now?" she asked.

Tobias nodded. "We need to seize the time slot presented to us. Keller will be back later today," he said.

"Okay. Good luck then Tobias. Don't give Stryker such a hard time," she said, and Tobias saluted respectfully.

Alexis turned and began to walk towards the GMC, but was intercepted by Ari. The two women stared at each other, and then Ari pulled her in for a hug. "This is going to be the first mission where not only do I not have Tyler, but I don't have you either." Ari mumbled, all bravado gone now.

Alexis laughed and pulled away. "Just be nice to Stryker and you shouldn't have a problem," she gently told Ari.

"Preston! We got to get a move-on; it's going to be a semi-long drive!" Tobias shouted from where he was standing by Optimus.

"Good luck!" Ari shouted as Alexis began to walk away.

"You're going to need it more!" Alexis shouted back, and then climbed into the passenger side of the GMC truck. All around her the soldiers had picked up on the warning and were now scurrying around to get in their proper places. The pilots were getting ready to fly out at a moment's notice while the last few strike team members climbed into the small trailer behind Optimus. The person who was in the security room keyed in the override code to open the parking garage gates, and then they were off.

The GMC began moving as soon as Barricade did. Alexis glanced at Lennox, who wasn't even pretending to drive the truck. Instead, he was looking through several maps he had to have pilfered from the base. Reminded of its existence, Alexis pulled the folded paper out and unfolded it. To her surprise, it was a hand-drawn map that was simple yet complex enough to detail the route. There were little time blocks for each section of the route, and even the ETA was scribbled in the corner.

"Will, try this," she said quietly, handing the written map over to Lennox.

He took the paper and studied it carefully. "Who wrote it?" he finally asked, looking up at her.

"I don't know, Tobias gave it to me this morning," she said quietly. She was quiet for a moment, and then asked, "Doesn't it look odd to a traveler when it doesn't look like you're driving?"

Lennox grinned and said, "True, but Ironhide hates it when his movement is restricted. It doesn't make it any easier that Sarah still doesn't know, and she drives him like an actual automobile. I just keep a loose grip on the wheel when we're in a crowded area. Otherwise, I keep my hands off, and he doesn't mess around with the heater or air conditioner."

"You should tell Sarah soon; the longer you put it off, the harder the task is going to be," Alexis said knowingly.

"I know. She was pretty mad that I wasn't going to tell her about what happened in Qatar or Mission City. For Ironhide's sake I try not to argue with her too much when she's on the driveway with us and armed with the car keys," Lennox said, grimacing at a memory. "Of course, that doesn't stop the boys on our street. For them, new cars are usually an invitation for keying. Never saw the kids again come near us."

"Ouch," Alexis murmured. "Okay, one of two things is going to happen today. One, Lynch caves in and peacefully surrenders and we all go home happy." As though the truck heard her, a sound of disagreement came through the speakers, and she sighed. "Ironhide, I said that was a possibility, I didn't say that was going to happen. The other possibility is that Lynch is stubborn and we have to charge in. Ironhide, do you think Optimus can get inside the building so that the strike team can sneak off?"

"Are you doubting him?" Ironhide's voice asked from the truck speakers, and Lennox winced.

Alexis released a breath through her teeth and said, "No Ironhide, I'm not doubting your leader. I was just wondering really if he would be kind enough to do that."

Ironhide was silent for a few minutes, and Alexis wondered if he had even heard the last sentence. The radio knob turned on by itself and soon soft country music began playing. Lennox didn't react but said, "He's relaying the message Alexis, don't fret." He looked at her and said, "You realize that Tobias had you take the captain's insignia off so that you couldn't be identified right? He mentioned that Lynch was told that the captain was the leader of the operation, so Lynch will be aiming to kill the captain."

"Lynch doesn't know what I look like, so that means…" Alexis began slowly.

"He'll probably target whoever has the insignia if you gave it to anyone," Lennox finished. "Lucky for us that he won't know about the switch-up."

Alexis wondered if Lynch was really as stupid as they were all assuming.

Soon enough they came upon a gravel road, the sky cloudy again. Barricade had done something to the gate, because he was waiting off to the side beyond it, and there was a smoking hole in the middle of the gate big enough to allow a vehicle through. Ironhide pulled over to the left opposite from Barricade, and the Hummer became parallel with Barricade while Optimus took the available space. The four vehicles were lined up facing the barracks, which appeared ordinary and run-down on the outside. If the amount of firepower was anything to go by however, Alexis suspected that appearances were deceiving, and the building was reinforced from the interior.

Alexis slipped the small headset on, and then climbed out as Lennox did and walked forward towards the structure, the five holograms appearing behind them. Rose appeared at Alexis's side and kept pace with her. The strike team would remain concealed until the last minute. The silence was broken only by the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel.

"That's quite far enough thank you."

Alexis stopped, and looked up onto a balcony nearest to them. Lynch stood there, flanked by guards. Her heart constricted in sorrow when she recognized Tom on Lynch's right side, leaning on his cane. He was wielding a rifle, and Alexis knew that soldiers on their side would not hesitate to have him shot in the combat, and he would not be shown mercy if any if captured. She couldn't believe however that the accusations against him had been true after all.

Lynch on the other hand seemed unimpressed at the sight of three humans and four holograms standing before him. He was wearing machine gun ammunition strung on thick leather, crossing in front of his chest in a similar manner to the revolutionaries of the early 1900s. "So this is what the president sends to negotiate, five Autobots and three humans. How pathetic," he said, observing each member in the party.

"It appears that this human has yet to observe the appearance of the Decepticons," Ironhide muttered to Lennox.

"Plus, he probably knew that there were five Autobots total, but didn't know names or what happened to Jazz," Lennox muttered back. "Communication amongst the ranks is usually a little faulty."

Unaware of the discussion below, Lynch continued with his speech. "There really is no need to negotiate anything ladies and gentlemen," he said, leaning on the balcony railing. "I was clear and firm when I said, 'all or nothing'. So why the president would feel the need to send humans… and a few crutches on a pointless mission is beyond me."

Rose stepped forward. "Allow us then to provide any necessary medical attention," she shouted, and scowled slightly when Lynch smirked at her. They watched as Lynch said something to Tom, who merely shrugged.

"Sorry ma'am, but no can do. If we let you in, what's to say the rest of you won't follow?" Lynch replied, and Tom frowned slightly and looked at Lynch as though to say, 'that wasn't what I meant'. Lynch leaned forward and said, "So, I am going to assume that the president has decided to accept all conditions and the Autobots will be going back to wherever the hell they came from."

"I don't think that part is negotiable," Lennox muttered while grabbing the bottom of Ironhide's holographic shirt to prevent the enraged Autobot from taking out Lynch on his own. "See if you can't reach a compromise."

"Lynch, how about you come down here under the white flag and we can work out a compromise," Alexis shouted. "Standard rules apply."

Lynch seemed to observe the Autobots and Decepticon, sizing them up. "No thank you, I plan on going to bed tonight with all my limbs attached," he finally called down. "I refuse to negotiate with you any further. If you remain on my property, I will have you forcibly removed." With those last few words, he turned on his heel and vanished from the balcony, Tom and a few other close associates in tow.

"I'm guessing that's my cue to call in the air reinforcements?" Alexis asked, glancing at Lennox.

Before he could answer, they all heard the sound of plates sliding back and locking into place behind them. "_Incoming!"_ Ironhide thundered, bringing his large hands down in front of the humans as the holograms abruptly vanished from sight. Just as he did so, the ground beneath the humans rocked just as the first barrage of the morning ripped through the air.

"Yes, that would be your cue," Lennox said as he pulled out a rifle. Alexis snatched his penknife and used it to cut a long slit down the front of the business suit. She was now grateful for the armor underneath. She wiggled out of the confining cotton fabric of her negotiator's costume and braced herself for when Ironhide released them.

"Starscream!" she shouted into the mouthpiece.

"_**Yes? Do you wish for us now?"**_he asked, although she could detect a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Yes! Get here right away!" Alexis shouted, and then refocused as Ironhide deemed it safe enough to raise his hands. The second he did, both Lennox and Alexis jumped forward, running for the nearest entrance. With the roar of engines the eighteen-wheeler reappeared from the garage and transformed while in motion. Taking the invitation, Ironhide abandoned his post behind the humans and threw the first attack to the barracks walls. The whole structure shook slightly, but held.

Alexis glanced briefly to the side to see Ratchet pause long enough for Rose to climb into the driver's side. They had their own separate mission, and she was sure they would succeed.

Stupefied by the barracks' resistance to the first attack, Ironhide used two cannons to smash down the walls the second time. Again, the walls shuddered, but held. Even when Barricade slammed into it with Ironhide, the only damage was a hairline crack. A loud roar of fury echoed around the clearing as the staccato sound of the sabot rounds began, although whether it was Barricade or Ironhide Alexis couldn't tell. She turned briefly to see Ironhide and Optimus swiftly transform and head for the parking garage while Barricade kept the humans distracted.

Gunfire erupted from both sides as soldiers appeared to back the Autobots up and Lynch's men challenged the intruders. Alexis, sticking close to Lennox, fired a shot to shatter a bottom-level window. Lennox covered her back as she squeezed herself through the window to get inside.

"You coming?" she asked when Lennox hesitated.

"No. Epps will meet up with you inside. Hurry," Lennox ordered, and she didn't stick around to argue.

She darted up the rickety stairs, tapping the headset as she went. "Starscream, _where are you?_" she demanded as she ran.

"_**Relax, we are almost there… no need for the impatience,"**_ he replied smoothly. He seemed to be too calm…

"Did you kill Ari while I had my back turned or something?" she demanded. "You're taking this awfully calmly."

"_**That's because I need to be alive to plan my next maneuver in the grand scheme of things,"**_ he replied nonchalantly. "_**Aliskevicz is alive and well, trust me. She is itching for a fight, as I am."**_

The gunshot near her ear brought her back to reality. She ducked as another bullet grazed her head. She fired back blindly, only stopping when there was no returning fire. Further investigation revealed that she had grievously injured one of Lynch's men, a man who had attempted to catch her off guard. She hesitated, and then pulled out the reflective medical tape from the armor's pocket. Usually, the soldiers who used the armor used the tape to identify one of their own who needed medical attention on the battlefield. She had no prejudice against them just because they were the enemy, but she knew others would. She yanked off a piece of tape and wrapped it around the man's wrist before moving on.

Alexis yelped as wood suddenly shot up in front of her, a sudden geyser. She heard a whirring sound, and momentarily stared down at the mouth of Ironhide's cannon.

"Sorry," the giant apologized, and the cannon retracted. "Figured it would be easier to attack from the inside out."

"It's okay Ironhide… no one told me about that. Keep it up," she said, stepping around the destruction and continued on, leaving the Autobots to their own work. She knew they could easily make their way up to the floors where Lynch was hiding. Lynch was in for a nasty surprise.

Where the hell were Starscream and the squadron?

Meanwhile, the Camaro, or Bumblebee as his comrades knew him, led Ratchet into the wide and musty corridors on the first floor. His sensors alerted him to the destruction that Ironhide and Optimus were making within the interior near the front, and he was careful to avoid that. The plan was for chaos to be everywhere, so the human target would not know which way to turn.

The problem with the humans running all over the place was that it would be hard to distinguish one human from the rest. That was where Ratchet came in. Ratchet's goal was not the leader like everyone else but in fact the human youngling that had been forcibly removed from her parents, the two adult humans caring for her. As a medic, his sensors were sensitive enough to pick up on one heat signature out of thousands, or one signal out of hundreds.

A small pack of five enemy soldiers turned the corner at the end of the corridor, and Bumblebee slowed. The humans had a general tendency to fire at anything that appeared to threaten them, and that included fast moving vehicles.

"Dude, check this out. A '07 Camaro and a Search & Rescue. Today is our lucky day… raid the ambulance and see if there is any decent food to eat. I'm sick of rations," the leader, the biggest one of the group, ordered.

His companions at least were smarter. "I don't know man, ain't that supposed to be an Autobot or something?" his partner asked nervously.

"Yeah, I won't get within five feet of that thing even if you ordered me," a third agreed.

Bumblebee didn't have time to waste like they did. He accelerated towards them, Ratchet close behind. The humans panicked and broke ranks, scattering and putting their personal safety at risk. One fainted right where he stood, two tucked tail and ran back around the corner and back to the safety of the upper floors, the fourth was brave enough to run by the vehicles and run for the safety of the downstairs, all while the fifth ran around in a few circles, apparently undecided over his course of action. Once he appeared to commit to one, he abruptly changed his mind and went for another course of action. Finally he did the stupid option and tried to jump over Bumblebee. Reacting on pure instinct, Bumblebee transformed to catch the flying human. He succeeded, but the human panicked even more. Before Ratchet could end the confrontation, the fifth soldier finally fainted from fear.

"I hope we find the female in question soon. The less humans we have to get through, the better," Ratchet grumbled, and Bumblebee transformed back into his vehicle form. "That male we spoke with had better hold to his words, or, as the humans say, we are going to be in a spot of trouble."

Several extensive floors above the Autobots, it was quiet except for the occasional shake or muffled explosion. Other than that, the only sound breaking the silence was the steady taps of Tom's cane as he walked towards Samara's room. He didn't bother tapping the door, just opened it. Inside, Samara was in the corner, crying to herself while her three guards kept her surrounded, rifles out.

His patience running thin, he snapped, "You three, get out. Lynch needs you." When they didn't immediately respond, Tom raised the rifle warningly and snarled, "Get… out."

Samara stopped crying long enough to watch her three bodyguards scamper out as fast as their legs could carry them. Tom gestured for her to come with him, and she tripped as she quickly obeyed. "It's okay kiddo. You're going to meet a crabby doctor and his nice friend and they're going to take you home okay?" he said, offering his good hand to her. She hesitated, and then carefully accepted it.

They were halfway down the hall when they ran into trouble. "Where do you think you're taking her?" Lynch demanded from behind Tom. "Where are you going?"

"Home Ross. The kid needs to go home. I'm sick of being ordered around by you and sick of pretending that I like it," Tom said, turning around and discreetly pushing Samara behind him.

Lynch stared at him, stunned. "I am ordering you to remain here," he snarled.

"Ever hear the phrase, 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer'? I never worked for you Lynch, and it was just coincidental that I happened to be near the general when she died. If anything, I only used your ignorance to my advantage. I did not kill General Stanton, someone else did," Tom snapped. "Your precious agents 24 and 25 set me up as the assassin in a last-ditch attempt to get me arrested so I couldn't continue to be a threat to you." Tom leaned back on the cane and said, "I'm going home, I'm getting the kid home, and you won't stop me."

"Really? That's too bad Tom. I thought we had something," Lynch said sadly. "Of course, this can only mean that you might have lied to me about the identity of the 401st captain. Who is it Tom? Who is the unlucky sap who will die today?"

Tom smirked. "The funny part was when you swallowed the lie whole," he said, and turned around to face Samara to usher her along quickly.

_Pchoww!_

Samara screamed and jumped back three feet as Tom stumbled. He dropped the cane and reached for the rifle that was on his back. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his midsection, Tom turned on his heel and aimed dead on to Lynch's heart with the rifle. Panicking, Lynch reloaded the small pistol and aimed again.

Lynch needn't have worried. The pain in his middle and the sudden flare-up from his leg compromised Tom's aim and the shot went wide, showering sparks down from one of the metallic supports. Tom stumbled and finally collapsed without the need of a second shot from Lynch. His thoughts were somewhat scrambled, but he managed to remember to play dead so Lynch would have no further excuse to shoot him.

Samara provided the distraction by turning and running around the corner, gunshots following her. She whimpered as she took the steps two at a time, searching desperately for the doctor that her 'rescuer' promised.

Tom meanwhile waited until Lynch had left. The idiot forgot to ensure that Tom was dead… but Tom wasn't complaining. He pulled out the small walkie-talkie and contacted the other collaborator. "Lynch… got away. The girl… is on the loose. Tell the men to take it easy with the triggers," he wheezed out. Then he put the walkie-talkie down and curled up in an attempt to contain the pain in his midsection. His leg was a lost cause years ago.

He tensed briefly when he heard the roar of engines overhead, but knew instinctively that the damned cavalry finally arrived, and the main event was about to get underway.

Tom Wilson blacked out curled up on the floor, wishing for the first time in years for an end.

-----------------

The strike team moved with fluid motions, dangerous as a pack of hunting predators approaching the prey. Gunfire from the other soldiers and the thunder from the Autobots echoed all around of they moved to the south room, the one entrance to the escape routes from the base. If their target escaped, then the game would only continue, but the leader preferred that it all ended today, especially before Keller returned to shut things down for good.

The leader paused to check the watch. It was 8:47 a.m.; only forty-seven minutes had passed since the battle began. That meant there were only three hours and thirteen minutes left to wrap this all up before Keller came back from the southwest to shut all operations down.

The soldiers behind the leader paused, waiting for further instructions. The leader made a few hand gestures, and then turned to watch the two snipers as the other five scattered to keep a look out.

The snipers were the crucial element to ending the confrontation. Despite that however, one sniper would ensure that it was the strike team that got Lynch, and the other would ensure that Lynch himself went down. Both were lethal and deadly, and the leader knew that there was no chance of failure from these two. The leader knew the trainer personally, and the trainer himself promised that these two would succeed in their presented tasks.

One sniper loaded two tranquilizer darts, a weapon generally reserved for large animals, into the modified weapon he carried. His partner, who would be the man who watch the sniper's back, checked to make sure the sabot rounds were in place and ready to go. The other sniper checked to make sure the two vials of paralysis toxin were secured and ready to go. The leader didn't doubt the sniper's skill and knew that both snipers would hit the target with the first shot, but it didn't hurt to have a backup just in case something went wrong and they missed.

The first line of attack against Lynch had failed. Now it was time for the second wave.

Both snipers were ready. The leader signaled for them to go their separate ways, and watched as the two pairs vanished, the sniper and the man to protect their back. Then, at the indication of another signal, the eight remaining soldiers vanished into the depths of the barracks.

The leader smiled, although the helmet prevented anyone else from seeing the smirk. The enemy didn't know it, but they were just getting warmed up. Once the outer wall was destroyed, then the real fun would begin.

------------------

A/N: As the leader of the strike team put it, things are just getting warmed up. My intent with this chapter was basically to set up the front lines for each group, which will be further expanded on in the next chapter. I can say that the next chapter will include but will not be limited to: an irritated Ironhide, squabbling soldiers, and a critical mistake. I hope this chapter has met your expectations. :)


	38. Finish the Fight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Finish the Fight

She hated him.

No wait. She didn't hate him… she _loathed_ him.

Arianna let out an impatient sigh and leaned back into her seat. If Stryker wasn't such a captain's favorite, Ari would have killed him months ago. The murder would have been worth the court martial and the fifty-plus years in prison. She wouldn't have cared what the consequences were as long as Davis was permanently removed from her life.

"_**You aren't listening to me anymore are you?"**_

"No. I wouldn't be listening to you even if you were the president of the United States," Ari told Stryker, and then disconnected the link between her and Stryker. She groaned. Insane technicians she could handle. Stubborn flight crews she could handle. Tyler and Riley together she could handle. Her old driving instructor and crazy drivers she could definitely handle; her home state of Massachusetts was full of them, and Boston was the headquarters. Hell, she'd learned to pull the 'Boston maneuver' and other driving tricks from the best driving instructor she'd ever had, an ex-Registry employee. The guy had been fired for reckless driving, and taught everything he knew to Ari. Sure she passed the test with flying colors, but it was nice to know those little things.

Stryker Davis however was the only thing in her life she couldn't handle, and one of the few things she had no power over. She had no idea how the captain tolerated the arrogant lieutenant. If Ari had been in charge, she would've kicked Stryker out of the 401st completely with no trial run at all. In fact, when he had first arrived, Ari didn't think he would stay long, especially since he had been on a trial run. As an unspoken rule, pilots tended not to stay long with Stanton on trial runs; they either quit the squadron and transferred elsewhere, or the general dismissed them before a fight could be started among the ranks. So it came as a surprise that Stryker stayed and tolerated the general and she decided to let him stay.

The closeness between Alexis and Stryker was somewhat alarming as well. Ever since they had trained together, Ari and Alexis could pull off a perfect double act… on the ground. Ari to find the trouble and get into it, Alexis to pull her out of it and find the escape route. She never realized really how close Stryker had been getting until she had caught the end of the little kiss from that morning. In reality, she was angrier at Stryker for kissing her friend than she was with Tobias for distracting her. The nice thing was that she at least waited until after Alexis left before losing her temper with Stryker. It was just that Ari felt that once Stryker was close enough to Alexis, Ari was going to be edged out of the picture completely, and she didn't want that to happen. If anyone was going to be shoved out, it was going to be Stryker… even if it killed her in the process.

But if she was dead, she wouldn't be around to enjoy her victory. Okay, she didn't want to die removing Stryker.

Hopefully Stryker wouldn't mention to Alexis the reason why the squadron was delayed. He and Ari spent about twenty minutes bickering, which ended when Ari threatened to hit him in the head with a nearby tool. That started an argument over who could deliver the most damage in a fistfight. The reality check came when Alexis called in demanding for them to show up. Alexis would have only picked up on Stryker's smugness about having the last say in the argument before the squadron left.

"_**Motor Mouth, you still with us?"**_ Parker asked suddenly.

Ari quietly seethed at the new nickname. She didn't know John Parker very well, just that he was a Maine resident who lived near where Alexis was born. The dolt must have picked the nickname up from Tobias. If she wasn't careful, the name was going to stick. "What's the emergency now _Parker_?" she spat, using his real name instead of his call sign. She adjusted her flight plan to keep pace with Starscream… she noticed that he was starting to descend. They must be getting close to their destination. "Hey Screamer…are we getting close or are you about to crash?" she suddenly asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. If he crashed, then she could honestly say that it wasn't her fault that he died.

Stryker growled, and Ari decided to heed the warning… for about two minutes. There was no immediate need to start giving him reason to start thinking up nasty ideas. She was quiet, and then finally asked, "Seriously Screamer. Are you about to crash? I don't want to follow you if you're about to crash. I kind of have a dinner date with Tyler at this really great pizza place and I can't go if I'm barely clinging to life or dead because of a crash…"

"_**Primus, don't tempt me…"**_ Stryker growled out over the link.

"You're the only guy I know who shows off his linguistic skills in the middle of a combat situation…" Ari began to say.

"_**Can it Motor Mouth. Nobody cares!"**_ somebody, probably Parker, interrupted irritably.

"Well it's not my fault that Stryker has temper management problems!" Ari shot back. "Oh, and stop calling me 'Motor Mouth'! That's not my name or call sign!" Point sufficiently made, Ari relaxed a bit, disconnecting the link so she wouldn't have to listen to either Parker nor Stryker. Both were stubborn and rude males, something she had very little patience for.

It was the squadron pipsqueak Jay Perkins who broke that silence. She only called him that because it seemed to her that he was one of those people who were constantly underfoot. Unfortunately he was from New Hampshire, another New England resident… which meant they shared some similarities, making it hard to hate him very much.

"_**Trip? Umm two things. One, isn't it against regulations to cut the leader out of the link?"**_ he asked, still wary about talking to her after hearing her arguments with Stryker.

"Perkins, it's just that I have this intense dislike of Davis," she complained as she reluctantly re-opened the link between her and Stryker.

"_**Eh, me too."**_ Perkins agreed. _**"Second thing is that we're going down. Screamer wasn't going to crash. Sorry."**_

Ari gritted her teeth as she looked down out of her cockpit, and saw that he was right. She focused on the confrontation below, aligning the weapons as they began to warm up. Ari scowled; didn't Alexis know that it was generally customary to send the invitations _before_ the party started?

Apparently not.

----------

The old command center was a hub of activity as ex-Sector Seven soldiers and personnel scurried about, securing equipment and positions. In the center of it all, Ross Lynch was working at the central computer. He knew there was the possibility of defeat, so he had to be prepared. He downloaded all of the databanks he had accumulated in the last few months onto a flashdrive, and then ejected the memory stick from the computer. Then he wiped the entire memory system of the network. It was the customary practice to destroy all useful information so the enemy would not be able to access and utilize it.

"Kade," he called softly to his second-in-command. The man walked over and saluted sharply. Lynch leaned forward and ordered, "Take this flashdrive and give it to Agent 33. She will smuggle it out of the compound. On the flashdrive is the entire database and history of Sector Seven. _Defend it with your life._"

Kade saluted and tucked the flashdrive into his pocket. As he walked away, another agent appeared and saluted. When Lynch nodded his approval, the agent said, "We've counted six Transformers, and the walls are taking a beating. Two of the giants are inside destroying the place, and we have the confirmed presence of two more on lower levels."

Lynch sighed. He would have to wait to test his weapon out later then. "Take the computer virus and get it out of here," he ordered. "We can't take on four of those things, much less six."

"What about the nitro?" the agent asked curiously.

Lynch thought about it. The president's brat had escaped when he'd killed Tom, so naturally she would run to the nearest place of safety. He'd heard from Simmons that the yellow scout was the only Autobot that had little difficulty communicating with young humans. "Slow the things down with it or something. Just don't waste it… we barely have enough to deal with more than one," he finally said, remembering how difficult it had been to smuggle the stuff to the barracks without too many questions attached. He'd been forced to send an agent after one of Stanton's agents, a woman. The woman had inadvertently discovered one of the nitro trucks, but she had taken care of Lynch's agent in her hotel in Nebraska.

The agent saluted, and then disappeared.

Tasks done, Lynch began to plan his own retreat. In his opinion, soldiers were expendable. It was the leader who needed to survive in order to carry on the fight. The odds of defeat were increasing; Lynch had counted on at least the four Autobots arriving to fight if anything. Starscream had been an iffy; the Decepticon would have needed an extremely good reason to comply with insignificant organic creatures whether he had really been part of the Air Force squadron or not. Barricade was an unexpected arrival; despite the 'to punish and enslave' life motto, Lynch figured the wily Decepticon would be more interested in saving his own hide rather than risking it in a petty human conflict.

Lynch stood up. Losing his biggest bargaining chip was bad, and the mistake would be properly dealt with. Unfortunately, the president forced Lynch's hand by sending the task force to liberate her and arrest him. After dealing with that, then Lynch would tie up any other loose ends, and then get the hell out of there as fast as humanly possible.

"Marco!" Lynch shouted. The agent swiftly materialized in front of him and raised his head to acknowledge his superior. Lynch gestured for the agent to follow him and the two men vanished from the command center.

Lynch still had one last card to play.

Several floors down from the center, another rumble echoed through the halls of the old barracks, sending the five humans to the sides again. "Ironhide is having a little too much fun with this," Epps grunted, pulling himself up from the ground. "Maybe we should tell him to use a _little_ less power."

"I can proudly say that I wasn't the one who gave him permission to do that," another soldier, a man by the name of Max Williams, said as he picked up his pack from where it had fallen onto the floor. He turned around and asked, "Are you coming or taking a nap there Preston?"

"I'm coming," Alexis growled as she picked herself up from the ground. She was angry because once again, she was serving as an entertainment source for the soldiers. She privately vowed to herself never to work with the ground troops ever again after this.

Max grinned. "I like this one Epps," he said, turning to his comrade. "She's got more spunk than my cousin Marcia. Do you know where Lennox picked her up?"

"I don't remember… I can tell you it might've been three years or so ago," Epps replied as he hoisted his gun up so that he would be ready once the shooting began again. "Yo Bronson! Baxter! What is taking you two so long? Need a snack break or something?"

"We're good!" James Baxter replied cheerfully as he caught up with Lew Bronson. He clapped Alexis forcefully on the shoulder. "How is the little lady doing?"

"Careful with her… she knows Starscream," Max warned in a teasing manner as Alexis stumbled forward from the force of the clap. "He'll vaporize your house if he catches you treating the little lady like that."

"He just might. I've seen him take out entire F-22 jets and buildings before," Epps warned, and Alexis knew that Epps was referring to the Mission City attacks.

Max shrugged. "Give me sabot rounds and Ironhide and I'm all set," he said, keeping pace with Epps.

Epps snorted. "Dude, not even the nitro stuff that Sector Seven used will stop Screamer," he said.

As the pair descended into a discussion over what it would take to bring Starscream completely and permanently down, Alexis reflected on how she had found the small band of four soldiers. She had been carefully running down a hallway, weapon out and ready to fire. Epps, who had been leading the little band, rounded the corner ahead of her, and she had been delighted to see them. Delighted that is, until Baxter had aimed his rifle at her head. She had stopped dead in her tracks and raised her hands in surrender, ready to explain that she was on their side. Ignoring the gesture, Baxter had fired, but the bullet slipped between her arm and head on the right side. The grunt of pain behind her informed her of her stalker who had been waiting to jump her at the right moment.

Alexis didn't owe him though. The favor was returned when Baxter had paused to fix something on his pack and an enemy soldier saw it as an opportunity to smack him on the head with the butt of his rifle. Baxter was flummoxed at the sudden save by Alexis, and had only been capable of saying that he didn't need a _girl_ to defend him.

Epps assured Baxter that he would remind Alexis of that little fact the next time Baxter was ambushed.

Now they were running to what was supposedly the center of the base. Bronson said he had come here once when he was still in training, and that his memory was fuzzy, but it was still better than running completely blind.

Alexis wasn't so sure.

The building rocked again as yet another barrage landed. The faint screaming of engines overhead announced the arrival of the 401st, and indicated to Alexis who to thank for the latest round. This also reminded the five of them to pick up the pace and get moving. Bronson gestured for them to all slow down as they all neared another corner. They all paused, bracing themselves against the wall before the next blast could knock them down and waste more precious time. Alexis checked her watch; the digital display read: 9:17 a.m.

Bronson signaled that the coast was sufficiently clear, and then they all crept around.

To Alexis's surprise, it was an old courtyard that opened up to the cloudy sky above. A promenade-style balcony surrounded the courtyard on all four sides on all levels. Weeds dominated the lawn, and the water inside the old rusting fountain was a russet-brown mixture as rust and mud mixed in water collected from the rains. She swore she saw the tip of a yellow snake disappear from the courtyard edges into the tall grasses, and wondered what other creatures lurked in the area.

All in all, this courtyard had seen better days.

"Whoa, I don't remember this," Bronson said, coming to an abrupt halt. He frowned, and then said, "Now I'm wonder if I actually was remembering the layout to West Point."

"Not reassuring," Alexis hissed as she slipped past him. "What's next?"

"_Madre de Dios,"_ Max suddenly breathed, looking up towards the sky. "We're in so much hot water now," he whispered.

"Why?" Lew demanded. "I don't like 'hot water' warnings. What's wrong?"

"What are we relying on most in this op?" Max slowly asked, looking specifically at Alexis.

Her heart grew cold at Max's strained expression. "We're relying on the squadron to help rip the place open," she said slowly, hoping she got the objective correct. "More firepower to smash it open." She frowned at Max, wondering what he was getting at.

"Sabot rounds can bring down a Transformer, but that takes a while," he began slowly, looking at his companions. "But those giants will definitely take us out for sure," he said, gesturing towards the rooftop, which was barely visible from their position on the ground.

Alexis stepped out into the weak sunlight, and saw what he was pointing to.

Long, cylindrical shapes were raised towards the sky, black against the light-gray clouds. Twelve anti-aircraft weapons were positioned all around the courtyard roof, three to each side. She guessed that since Starscream was going to be an active participant, and that it wasn't really a secret anymore, there would be soldiers heavily guarding the artillery. Sabot rounds were going to be in high demand today.

"We have to get up there," she said without thinking. She looked at Epps and said, "We need to take out the weaponry so that the squadron has one less thing to worry about."

"Begging your pardon ma'am, but we have other mission objectives. The Four-oh-first knew the risks of participating in this operation. They know that they will have to handle the batteries on their own so that we can do our part," Baxter said solemnly. "It's all the risks in being a participant in any kind of confrontation. They have their duty, we have ours."

Alexis snarled, reached over, and pulled down on Baxter's collar so that his face was level with hers. "These are _my_ pilots you're talking about here," she growled. "_I _say we go up there to help out. Don't you have a damn strike team taking care of Lynch or something?"

Baxter looked alarmed at her sudden vehemence. "Epps, intervention!" he squeaked out, struggling briefly in her grip. Alexis growled again and pulled him back down to her level.

"Sorry man, I'm just a technical sergeant. She's a captain, so she could technically order me around a bit," Epps said, backing off with his hands up in surrender.

"But you trained in the Air Force Combat Control!" Baxter said, struggling to get out of her grip, which she tightened in response to the struggling.

"She still outranks me," Epps pointed out. "Plus, she actually flies something while I'm part of the ground spec ops program." He turned to Alexis and said, "Let him go captain. We'll go, disable the batteries, and then get back onto our original mission 'kay?"

Alexis turned to answer, releasing Baxter, but a loud _boom_ shook the building again. They looked to see a F-22 limping away from the aerial battleground, a thin trail of smoke following it. Alexis keyed in Starscream and said, "I'm guessing I don't have to warn you about that."

"_**No, but then again, Aliskevicz doesn't need the warning either,"**_ Starscream replied, sounding extremely amused. "_**What the slag is the crazy femme doing? She's coming back for another round!"**_ he suddenly said, sounding slightly stunned. It sounded as though he had expected humans to heed the natural lesson of trial by error.

"Epps! Help me find a staircase. We're getting up there _now_ before Ari does something stupid!" Alexis snapped, pulling Baxter along behind her by the collar. He let out a yelp of surprise and then she released him. She broke into a sprint, Epps and the other three close behind.

Twice, they ran into enemy squads that had been setting up ambushes. Alexis wasn't sure who had been surprised more, the squads or them. Either way, they weren't a problem. One squad immediately scattered to create confusion while the second squad tried to attack them right there and then. The first squad was spared, the second was not. Epps led the charge up several staircases, and then they were forced to slow down and resume the normal slowed pace they had taken earlier in the mission.

The reason for this was that they accidentally surprised one of their own squads. They charged around a corner, and Baxter had smacked heads with another soldier by accident. Weapons were drawn and ready until the leader of the squad recognized Epps as one of their own.

"She should be wearing headgear of some kind," the leader observed, his helmet obscuring his face completely. The leader turned to Epps and added in a disapproving manner, "As should you all."

"Sorry s… um, yeah we should," Epps said, Alexis glanced at him when he seemingly dropped the 'sir' that usually went along with a response like that. She backed away from the group however when four more helmeted soldiers appeared to join the first four. This had to be the strike team going in after Lynch… except that there were two missing. Alexis privately assumed that they had already seen their fair share of casualties then.

"Hey, there are anti-aircraft artillery up there… guess the squadron wasn't much of a big surprise then," Epps began carefully.

The leader swore viciously in English and in what sounded like Spanish. The three soldiers surrounding the leader jumped away from the leader as though burned, and Epps backed away a little, pushing Alexis back gently. "All right, we need to rethink things through… where are you going?" the leader demanded.

"To take out the batteries," Epps replied, suspecting that there was going to be a change in objectives. "Then we were going to continue to help you guys."

His gut feeling was correct. "Change in plans," the leader announced. The leader turned to them and said, "Get the pilot a helmet, and use your own headgear… I don't care how uncomfortable they are. That is an order."

"With all due respect, the four-oh-first pilots are on their own. With Starscream in the ranks, they shouldn't have a problem," Baxter cut in, bracing for the series of explosions that rocked the place at the moment.

"Starscream would care more for a group of soldiers that followed him under their own will, not a group who have no choice to follow him and plan to return to their real commander once this is over. He wants to direct his soldiers his way, not ours," the leader snapped. The leader paused as though to add something, but evidently decided not to.

The nearest soldier tossed Alexis a helmet, saying, "Here you go ma'am." He inclined his head and said, "Nice job negotiating by the way."

Before Alexis could properly react to that statement, a sonic scream echoed in the sky up above. Over the headset, Starscream let loose a roar of fury and… _pain_. The powerful and intimidating Decepticon was in pain. Even when he was injured when Alexis first met him, Starscream had not betrayed any indication of pain. Something had gone terribly wrong.

"Epps! We have to go now!" she shouted, interrupting the discussion between Epps and the strike team leader. Epps nodded grimly, saluted to the leader, and then gestured for her to put the helmet on.

Alexis slipped the helmet on, and then began making her way towards the stairs, Epps right next to her. The strike team waited for all five fighters to be gone before continuing on their route. The leader didn't want anyone outside of the immediate group to know which direction the team was going in.

A few floors later, Alexis finally found the entrance to the where the helicopter landing pad should have been located. Epps gestured for her to stand back, and Bronson had the honor of blowing the trapdoor to bits.

As they climbed onto the roof however, Alexis witnessed as two of the jets crash-landed, one going off to the side of the barracks building, the other taking a dive into the place where the courtyard was located. Her gut twisted in horror as the other fourteen jets scattered, no doubt rethinking the attack plan. She pulled the mouthpiece to the headset and yelled, "Screamer! Focus on strafing the building away from the batteries! We'll take care of that!"

Starscream didn't answer; the batteries seemed to be providing just the challenge he had been itching for during the last couple of weeks. "Who crashed?" Alexis demanded, bringing her weapon up to bear as the first couple of defenders began to charge them. She stopped trying to get his attention… she didn't want to cause the fatal slip in his attention.

It seemed ridiculous, the five of them trying to take out forty plus soldiers that were defending the heavy artillery. Ironically enough, to Alexis it seemed that the only weapon efficient enough to take out the batteries was missile barrage from either Starscream or another F-22. But the batteries were the one thing that the pilots were always trained to avoid so they would lower the risks of being shot out of the sky, a piece of training that two pilots either forgot or ignored.

Another round from the nearest battery was aimed for the one specific jet that was circling the weaponry like a massive bird of prey. The nearest weapon was also the most heavily guarded. When it fired, Alexis saw it hit the F-22 in the belly and while it did not bring the jet down, it prompted another shriek of fury from it. Starscream was going to have to readjust his speeds and maneuvers if he expected to survive this.

Sabot rounds. Lynch was prepared after all, and not as stupid as everyone thought.

"We need to get to that one," Alexis said, grateful for the helmet as a few rounds from the enemy came too close to her head.

"Which one?" Epps asked, rolling behind Baxter so he could reload his gun in peace.

"I think she means the one with the sabot rounds. I think the little lady may be the only one who likes having Screamer around," Max said, winking at Alexis to show that he was teasing. "Now enough chitchat. Game on."

Communication ceased between them all as three F-22s came swooping in for another attempt at removing the batteries. The pilots were smart enough to leave just as the long barrels were turned towards them, but then more pilots came in while the others were retreating, creating an attack at all times from all sides.

"We can't do this… we need another plan," Alexis murmured to herself as she dropped to the ground to avoid another barrage from the repeating rifles. The enemy were holding their lines as the five of them slowly advanced. She froze instinctively as an enemy soldier appeared right in front of her, ready to knock her out for good.

_Pchowww!_

The man howled and ran backwards, clinging his arm. Alexis didn't understand what had just happened when Ari of all people jumped over Alexis and continued firing at the man with what appeared to be a stolen weapon. "Get up!" she shouted at Alexis, who scrambled to her feet to help her friend.

"What happened?" Alexis asked, keeping an eye on her friend's back as the pair of them charged ahead of Epps and the other three men.

"I had to do emergency evac when these giant suckers smashed up my wing. I don't know what my jet landed in, it was either a weed patch or an old garden I don't know," Ari said, kneeling and opening fire on the enemy soldiers. "I'm also pissed off at Stryker, so these losers will have to do as substitutes since I can't really kill him." Ari was still wearing her flight helmet. It had to be stifling for her.

"We're trying to get to that battery right there," Alexis said, indicating quickly with her rifle. "Once that goes out, then we're all set. The others will be easy."

"On it captain!" Ari replied cheerfully as she ducked to avoid two bullets. "Cover me please," she added as she stopped firing. Alexis quickly got in front of her friend, wondering what the hell Ari was doing now. A few clicks and thunks later, Ari said, "All good. Stay in front of me and we're in business."

"What are you doing?" Alexis shouted while trying to remain focused on the soldiers ahead.

"Crawling. I'm going to jump up and surprise them. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Now stay crouched, and walk forward. Careful; you're my cover," Ari directed.

Alexis decided not to question her friend's motives but instead continued to fire while beginning to walk ahead as directed. She did not go far however, the firepower was intensifying the closer she got to them. She was finally forced to stop; it was now at the point where the rainclouds were partially disguising the enemy soldiers, and Alexis did not want to wait for the gunfire to determine their location.

The sudden appearance of a faint shadow was her first warning. Ari's bloodcurdling scream was her second warning. The sudden stop of the gunfire was the third and final warning that something momentous had happened.

"_Oh my God Alexis what the hell is that?"_ Ari screamed, jumping a good three and a half feet away from Alexis as though she had been suddenly burned. "_It's a giant fucking robot! Tyler was actually telling the bloody truth after all!! Alien!"_ she yelled, tripping over herself in her fevered attempt to get farther away from Starscream.

Starscream landed in robotic form right behind Alexis, creating a loud crashing sound to echo and a few large cracks to appear in the rooftop. Alexis took advantage of the distraction to fire at the target and managed to shoot the partially concealed fuel cells, igniting the gasoline and causing the whole contraption to blow to the heavens. Soldiers went flying into the air, and the others either scattered or reinforced their front lines. Snarling, Starscream's hands morphed into his favorite cannon, which prompted a few more humans to run for cover. A few humans just stood where they were, wondering if he was going to shoot them or the other anti-aircraft batteries. Soon, the only sound in the area was the whirring of gears as Starscream stretched to his full height, and aimed the cannon at a downward angle. He fired, and several soldiers screamed, assuming that it was aimed for them. In reality however, the blast cut through steel supports underneath three of the batteries, and the entire side finally collapsed in towards the courtyard, leaving a large hole in its wake.

Alexis opened fire just as the other men did. Starscream had lost his interest in playing with the humans however and used the cannon to give a similar treatment to the two perpendicular sides. Explosions thundered throughout the area as each battery fell and blew upon contact with the ground. Alexis's face was thankfully shielded from the blasts of hot air by her helmet.

The stress from the years of disuse, abuse from Starscream's cannons, and the stress from supporting Starscream's massive weight was too much for the fourth side, the side that most of the soldiers were on. With a loud groan of ripping metal, the entire side dipped forward to add to the carnage already within the buried courtyard. Cement and metal plating went flying as the entire roof was pitched forward. To further add to the damage, a loud rumble and explosion were heard as Barricade finally penetrated through the front wall. Ranks and orderly lines were immediately abandoned as people scurried around to avoid getting hit or buried.

Alexis knew they were in trouble when her own feet slipped and she fell down, sliding with the rest of the damaged roof. Starscream transformed back into his jet form and took to the skies, and arced around to attempt to pick her up before she was swallowed up by the wreck. Alexis however tucked into a ball, covered her neck, and bit back a scream as she finally tumbled over. Faintly, she heard an ear-splitting shriek of dismay as Starscream pulled back before the latest round of surprise sabot weapons could hit his underbelly.

It was quiet in her world for a few minutes after the last few bits of wreckage finished falling, and she honestly wondered if she'd died. Then she figured she wouldn't be conscious thinking about this sort of thing if she really was dead. Her arm was wracked with pain, while she had lost feeling in one leg. Using what energy she had left, she pushed off a few bits of wreckage that had landed on her. Slowly she moved both arms to pry the helmet off, a task complicated by the fact that she was sure that her arm was broken since it wasn't cooperating with her. Coughing, she tossed the helmet off to the side, carefully propped herself up and tried to listen for any other signs of life.

Swearing was the dominant sound that reached her ears a few moments later, and she knew that at least there were survivors. The foul smell of burning wood and heated metal reached her face, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. A rustling nearby caught her attention, and she smiled tiredly as Ari's head popped up from a pile of wood. Her friend looked thoroughly traumatized, although whether the trauma from the fall or seeing Starscream for the first time Alexis didn't know.

"It… is… definitely… time… for… leave… after… this," Ari wheezed out as she began working her body out of the wreckage. She stopped, looking around while panting. She blinked and muttered, "Whoo, head rush." She finally spotted Alexis, and said, "You okay captain?"

"I've been better," Alexis said, smiling slightly in an attempt to lift their spirits. "You?"

With complete seriousness, Ari said, "Lexi, you're getting involved with a giant robot."

Alexis nodded. "That occurred to me a while ago," she said in a similar tone.

Ari nodded back. "So, can we court martial him for endangering the life of the commanding officer?" she asked casually. She frowned, and then suddenly grinned broadly. She turned back to Alexis and said in a singsong voice, "Oooh Stryker is going to be wicked _jealous_ when he hears about this. I so cannot wait to find him and tell him about this."

Alexis pretended to think about Ari's earlier question. "I don't know if the giant robot would fit in a courtroom," she replied.

Ari rolled her eyes, and then looked down momentarily. "You should try stand-up comedy; you're a laugh riot." Her eyes went wide and then without looking away, she said, "Lexi?"

"What?"

"You're… bleeding wicked bad. This isn't your average paper cut we're talking about either," Ari said slowly, still staring at Alexis's gut.

Now that the adrenaline was dying down, Alexis was beginning to feel the little aches and pains… including the fire in her side. She looked down on her right side and saw only a river of red leaking out before she jerked her head up to face Ari in horror. Ari's terror-stricken face was the last thing Alexis saw before blackness swarmed her vision and she passed out completely.

While the first fire had been stifled on the rooftops, another sort of problem was going on down several floors and off to one side of the aged courtyard. Samara hadn't stopped running since the man who'd freed her had been shot in the back. Her coughing and difficulty breathing slowed her down even more. She wished more than ever that her mother was there, wished that she had just called for her mother when Mister Lynch had taken her forcefully from her bedroom that night.

She didn't believe the man who had freed her when he said that there was a doctor ready to help her. Mister Lynch said that she was going to be on a TV show, and her rescuer never showed up. Mister Lynch never even let her go outside for a walk or go wait at home until it was her part. She didn't trust anyone anymore.

"There she is!"

Samara tried to pick up the pace when she heard the voices of her guards behind her. They had scared her the entire time she'd stayed here, and she didn't want anything more to do with them. It didn't help that she didn't know where she was going either, just picking hallways at random and taking staircases when she saw them. Her vague plan was to just get outside and hide into the bushes until someone came for her or she deemed it safe enough to go home.

A series of explosions from somewhere in the base knocked her to her knees. Although her pursuers stumbled as well, they recovered faster than she did. The closest grabbed her nightgown collar and hauled her up onto his shoulder before she could fight back.

She felt bad about how she had reacted. Her mother always told her that kicking someone while screaming was not how presidents' daughters behaved. But Samara was tired and wanted to go home, and most certainly did not want to be picked up this way. So she screamed and cried at the top of her lungs, all while kicking her captor in the chest and beating her fists into his back. The captor cried out in pain but did not let her go. He howled when she dug her fingernails into his back and pulled on his shirt in anger.

"Take her take her she's killing me!" the man howled at his companions. One brave soul stepped forward to pry the girl off the first man's shoulder. His mistake was placing his hand on her mouth to muffle the screams. When she was younger, Samara had been bitten by the guinea pig owned by the family next door, and her mother had explained that the animal reacted that way because it didn't want to be held. Samara sank her little teeth into the part of the man's hand that she could easily reach. While not enough to do serious damage, it was enough for both men to drop her in surprise. She wasted no time in escaping.

The uninjured man contacted Lynch via shortwave radio while his companions nursed their injured selves and egos. "Sir, we had her, but we lost her," the agent said, not bothering with greetings. "What are your orders?"

"_**Just kill the brat**_," came the curt response. The man signed off and gestured for his companions to follow the girl.

Meanwhile, one floor down, Rose Connelly continued scouring the empty living quarters with a flashlight for any signs of the hostage. Sergeant Wilson had failed to arrive at the rendezvous point with the girl at the appointed time, so it was up to her now to find the elusive eight-year old. Ratchet was one floor down, running multiple scans of the area while Bumblebee remained on guard, keeping watch for any more humans wishing to use the Autobots as escape vehicles.

She tensed momentarily when she heard screaming on the floor above her, accompanied by male yelling. Then there was a thump followed by rapid footsteps, and more shouting. She suspected that it could potentially be the girl and her captors.

The rapid footsteps faded for a few minutes, but Rose picked up on the sound of small feet on the staircase at the end of the hall. She looked up in time to see Samara come around the corner, scared beyond reason. There were streaks on her face from when she'd been crying, and her nightgown had a few tears in it. Samara came to a dead stop when she saw Rose.

"_Where is she?" _a loud voice thundered from above.

"Come on, it's safe. I promise I won't hurt you," Rose said encouragingly, kneeling down so that she could be at eye level with Samara.

"Pinky swear?" the girl asked cautiously.

"Pinky swear," Rose confirmed, and then braced herself as Samara barreled right into her, already sniffling again. The hug would have to be cut short, for Rose could hear the thundering footsteps of Samara's pursuers as they too headed down the stairs. "Sam?" she asked, using the shortened version of Samara's name to get the girl's attention. "We're going to play a quick game all right? The object of the game is to be as quiet as you possibly can okay?"

Samara nodded, already trying to stifle any further crying. The reason Rose proposed the game was because she knew there was no way she could get to Ratchet without being caught or spotted by the enemy soldiers. Instead she led Samara into an old room, and the two of them ducked behind a couch that had been covered long years ago.

"Okay, in order to win, you have to be quiet _no matter what_," Rose whispered, brushing Samara's sweaty bangs back from her face, and let Samara get closer to her for the sense of safety that all children wanted at this age.

Rose however remained alert, and listened to the loud noises the men were making. They were stomping around, wondering aloud how one little girl could've vanished into thin air. As the voices drew nearer to their hiding spot, Rose tensed, reaching for the firearm by her side. As much as she would hate to use it in close quarters, she would be willing to do so as long it meant that they could both survive this upcoming altercation.

"Hey, hey you. Who are you and what are you doing?" one of the men asked suddenly, someone catching their eye. "Hey buddy, this is a restricted level. Take your damn car and get…"

"_Idiot_! That's one of them Autobots! Get him!" the man's companion snarled. There was the sound of running feet and then the companion shouted, "Ernie, you find the kid while we chase the scout down!"

There was a scuffling sound, and a man, Ernie, wandered in with a flashlight. He waved it about the place, looking for them all the while muttering about how much he hated his job and the wage.

Rose waited until Ernie was closer, and then stuck her shin out from the hiding place as Ernie wandered by. Ernie tripped over her leg and smacked his face into an unseen piece of furniture, swearing viciously the entire time. Rose used this distraction to escape the hiding place on the other side and make a run for the door. Samara was quiet the entire time, although Rose could hear the girl trying to muffle her squeaks of terror. As soon as they left the room, Rose turned and barred the door with a crowbar that happened to be lying on the ground nearby.

When they got out into the hallway, it was already something of a mess. Broken wood lay everywhere, and one of the men was limping away from the battleground to save what dignity he had left before suffering the humiliation of surrender. Bumblebee was in his robotic mode, weapons whirring dangerously as the third man uneasily hefted his rifle. The man couldn't decide if it was really worth the third shot, because he knew that Ernie had failed and was out of commission and his other partner was throwing in the towel already. The third man was by himself, and facing a giant robot wasn't really on his list of favorite things to do.

"Um… um… take me to your leader?" he asked, raising his hands up as though to shrug. He carefully placed the rifle down and put his hands behind his head. His partner caught on, joined him, and copied his position.

"We surrender," the second man grumbled. "We surrender as long as we don't have to take care of that damn little girl anymore." He peeked up nervously at Bumblebee and repeated his friend's statement, "Take _us_ to your leader?"

"Trust me, we will do so," Ratchet snapped, pulling up alongside Bumblebee in his Hummer form. "But the child has top priorities."

"You're kidding right?" one of the men asked, watching jealously as Rose ushered Samara towards the Hummer. "You're actually making that little kid more important than us?"

"Do you want an answer to that?" Ratchet snapped crossly, and the two men promptly shut their mouths.

As Rose walked to the Hummer with Samara, Bumblebee folded down into his Camaro form and Ratchet instructed the prisoners to get in and behave. She checked her watch. The face read 10:05 a.m. They all had one hour and fifty-five minutes to finish all this and clean up the battleground before Keller arrived back to the Pentagon.

She helped Samara into the back of the Hummer, shut the two doors, and then pulled out the green bottle from where it had been in its cold and insulated case. Tobias said that this had been the girl's medicine, and Rose now had an idea on who exactly had stolen it and how. Samara lay down on the stretcher in the back and closed her eyes to rest. Despite the fact that Samara was no longer paying attention, Rose kept her back to the patient as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves, opened the packaging to the syringe, and drew the serum into the syringe. According to Samara's medical files, she had an extreme fear of needles… despite the fact she got them frequently.

Rose braced herself as Ratchet began to move again. Bumblebee had freed Ernie, picked him up, and was now escorting the prisoners and Ratchet out of the facility. She could still hear Ratchet grumbling to himself a little about the cramped moving space and the intelligence levels of some humans. Carefully, she knelt down, and pushed Samara's sleeve up. Ratchet seemed to have an idea of what she was doing, because he slowed down and stopped long enough for Rose to inject the medication into Samara's veins. He started up again, and Rose disposed of the used medical equipment. Then she sat down by Samara to keep her company throughout the rest of the trip out of the battered facility.

While Ratchet was in a good mood and on his way out of the old barracks, Ironhide was in a bad mood and was going into the barracks. He had transformed into his alt mode a while ago, and was making good time to the command center, Optimus right behind him. The floors of the facility were surprisingly strong enough to handle a GMC truck and an eighteen wheeler. It came as a surprise to the Autobots because they were already well aware of the damage Starscream had wreaked in the center of the building, at what the humans called a 'courtyard', and Optimus had assumed that the floors would be too old to handle heavy duty vehicles.

Actually, it was humans who were aggravating Ironhide at the moment, not the structure. The _homo sapiens _evolutionary process was obviously a slow one, seeing that despite the fact the Autobots were overcoming the difficulties with the sabot rounds, the humans kept swarming for another offensive. They just kept coming back to slow the pair down. Ironhide remembered the last time this happening was when the humans targeted Bumblebee underneath the bridge during the race for the Witwicky glasses. He was determined not to fall into a similar situation.

"I hope we're almost there… I don't like this battleground very much," Ironhide privately grumbled to his superior. "It's too… _enclosed."_

"_**Patience Ironhide. If the human's diagrams and schematics are to be believed, then we are almost to our destination,"**_ Optimus reminded him in a soothing tone. The human who had supplied the 'floor plans' of the barracks had been kind enough to mark out a route that involved no staircases or elevators to get to the command center, where the leader of the group causing the shenanigan here was supposedly hiding out.

The latest sabot round nearly struck a vulnerable point near the underbelly of Ironhide's alt mode. This somewhat snapped what little of Ironhide's patience was left. Before Optimus could stop him, Ironhide swiftly transformed into his natural form, pulled out half of his arsenal, and aimed it all at the humans, letting them a get a good look at what exactly they were up against.

Finally a rational reaction. Half of them turned and ran, and the other half planted themselves more firmly on the ground to retaliate. Thankfully for them, they didn't know that Ironhide was merely threatening them and would never open fire against them. Instead, the giant Autobot stretched to his full height, aimed, and fired forward, shattering what was left of the front wall behind the foolish humans.

This seemed to be some sort of hidden signal to the humans. They began to retreat, shouting orders to each other. Irritatingly enough, they continued to fire at the Autobots, and Ironhide interpreted that as an invitation to chase them out of the barracks… especially since Optimus didn't get a chance to deliver the orders to hold back.

The humans had stopped firing, and had turned around to run fast in attempt to escape the enraged weapons specialist. Only when Ironhide and Optimus slowed down to give up the chase did they start firing at them again, getting Ironhide riled up again.

"Look out!" someone screamed, and the humans scattered to the safety at the walls as a police cruiser came to a screeching halt, _almost_ colliding with Ironhide. With the screeching of tires the cruiser pulled a one-eighty to right itself, a tricky maneuver in tight quarters. Then Barricade led the chase while Optimus slowed down to take an alternative route.

It occurred to the human leader of this particular pack that they now had two, provoked, aliens keeping pace with the chase. Despite the suicidal nature of the decision, the man persisted in the run. There was too much riding on this run. The situation with the anti-aircraft batteries was still in the air; while the batteries had been taken out, soldiers from both sides had either fallen into the chasm opened up by the infamous Starscream or were retreating to nurse battle injuries. The victor had yet to be declared on that front. The boss had lost the bargaining chip, but supposedly had mustered up a backup plan that was supposed to pick up the broken pieces of the Sector Seven front. All the man had to do right now was stay just out of reach of the Transformers and get to his destination.

"_Look out!"_

Again, humans dove to the side to avoid the massive eighteen-wheeler cab that had appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Barricade jerked to the right to avoid a collision and continued the chase while Ironhide slowed down enough so Optimus could turn around and catch up. A few more sabot rounds from the humans was enough to get the two Autobots to hurry and catch up in the pursuit.

Ironhide kept Barricade within visual range, but was puzzled when the cruiser rounded the corner and came to a screeching stop. The smell of burned rubber filled the air as Optimus began to slow down to avoid a massive collision at the end, and Ironhide too came to a sudden stop when he rounded the corner. He saw immediately why Barricade had stopped, and wasn't sure what to think.

This couldn't be good.

On the same floor and a short walk away, the strike team continued making their way to the back door of the barracks, where the leader suspected that Lynch was planning to make his escape. All the careful planning, all the minute details had been a waste of time. The anti-aircraft batteries had been the first wrench to be thrown into the works of the operation, then the reported failure of the sniper team targeting Captain Preston just to antagonize and distract Starscream had been the second wrench. The third wrench had been the sudden lack of communication between the different teams. The strike team leader wasn't sure if there was enough operation left for a fourth wrench, but the leader was bracing for it anyway.

The leader checked the watch. It was now 11:00 a.m., one hour before the completion deadline.

The leader stopped at an intersection, but the second-in-command gestured straight ahead, so they continued on. The hall was short, but the leader strode purposefully to the door at the end. Without pausing, the leader pulled out the small handgun and fired the lock off the door, and then kicked it open.

The door led to a cavernous room with a domed concrete ceiling. An observation deck wound the entire circumference of the ceiling's base. There were several doors leading off, but the leader focused on Ross Lynch, who stood directly across the room from them. Lynch unfortunately seemed confident of something, a small smile on his face and a knowing sparkle in his eyes.

_Pchowww!_

The leader turned on the heel in surprise to find the last sniper on the strike team pitched forward onto the ground, blood leaking from the fatal injury onto the ground. The leader whirled again and found the enemy sniper at Lynch's side, and then the leader scowled, the expression hidden by the helmet. So there had been enough operation for a fourth wrench after all… and a fifth, once the leader focused on what lay between the strike team and Lynch himself.

Fourteen US Army soldiers were tied up in pairs while blindfolded, each pair positioned in a back-to-back formation. Sector Seven soldiers were guarding the fourteen men, as well as the five vehicles that were silently waiting for further instruction. Rose Connelly was also under guard, but was apparently perceived as a minor threat because she had only one guard and she was holding Samara's shoulders in a reassuring way. To the leader, Ironhide seemed miffed that the humans had tricked him into walking right into the trap. Then, for the Transformers, agents were wielding large weapons, and the leader could see the words, 'CAUTION: UNSTABLE NITRO' stenciled on one of the sides of the weapon.

The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Lynch was the first to speak. "So," he said, walking forward. "Why don't you save us all the trouble and surrender now, and then your volunteer army can go home safely? Your F-22 captain is dead, your double-agent is dead, everyone in here will be dead if you do not comply, and I will kill you slowly, so what's the point of continuing this madness?"

The leader allowed the second-in-command to speak. "The point is that this is your second chance to negotiate," the second-in-command said, his harsh voice clear from the helmet.

Lynch laughed. "A bold claim from someone who stands to lose everything from manpower to the battle itself," he said, still laughing slightly at the prospect.

The second-in-command hesitated, receiving the new set of orders via helmet links. "Then let them all go. This quarrel is between you and us, not them," he said, copying the prepared statements word for word.

Lynch snorted. "On the contrary, they became involved the moment they agreed to sign on and participate," he snapped. "As for quarrels, every single person I ever had a quarrel with is dead now. The Air Force Brigadier general is dead, the chief of staff is dead, my old friend and new enemy is dead, and the Oroville leaks are dead as well. Who is going to stop me?"

"What do you even want?" the second-in-command asked, wondering if he had lost something in interpretation when Lynch's initial objectives had been spelled out for the president.

"Sector Seven. Those damned Autobots. Don't you see? They brought their war to Earth during a time of peace, wrecking everything we've ever worked for," Lynch snarled. "Simmons was too timid to bring it all this far."

There were a few polite coughs from strike team members at the mention of the words 'a time of peace'. The leader said nothing; wrench number six had just been added to the mix. "Yeah, I'm sure the guys from Mission City and Qatar and the Autobots think that this is a time of peace too," the second-in-command muttered into the communications link. Aloud, he said, "You don't realize that the D-cons could probably care less about the Autobots at this point, especially since we're a weaker and more appealing target." He glanced at his superior, who was still quietly seething at the fact that for once, right when Simmons's guilt counted, Simmons was in fact innocent of all the charges.

"I can see that negotiating is out of the question," the second-in-command finally said slowly, realizing that Lynch did indeed hold all the cards this time around. The second-in-command looked at the leader to see what the leader would do. Everyone did.

The leader scanned the area. They all had forty-five minutes to salvage the operation and win. The leader connected to another soldier in the strike team and quietly ordered, "Summon the wild card."

The response was troubling. "I already tried. Wild card decided to be stubborn and refuses to accept orders from anyone but the captain, who is out of commission," the soldier reported. "Something about an agreement they had."

"What now?" the second-in-command asked via private link.

The leader said nothing. Instead, the leader took the personal weapons and threw them down onto the ground in a gesture of surrender, and then gave the hand signals for the others to obey and copy the leader. Speaking for the first time since earlier that morning, the leader coolly stated, "How about an exchange?"

"Who do you have that I could possibly want?" Lynch asked suspiciously.

"Access codes into the Pentagon. Think about it. You could erase any mention of Sector Seven, and then all you have to do is regroup and then you're back in business. On top of that, you could get Simmons reinstated, and even have the entire American military at your disposal. You know the Autobots wouldn't kill humans, and there are only two Decepticons to worry about. You can use the military to essentially permanently deal with those pesky Autobots for good," the leader said, ignoring the shocked looks from the soldiers and Connelly. They were the Autobot allies, and therefore would not appreciate the leader for allowing Sector Seven to regroup and begin harassing the Autobots.

"Tempting. How do I know you're not going to tattle?" Lynch asked.

"Why would I want to throw you in prison right away when I can just have the fun of trying to recapture you?" the leader asked conversationally. "At least let the medical team go with the girl and the Camaro… we rightfully won that round."

Reluctantly, Lynch signaled to the guard, who saluted and backed away from Ratchet and Bumblebee. Rose ushered Samara back into Ratchet, even though the eight-year old was watching the scene with wide and frightened eyes. Both vehicles left through a door that had been hidden up until that point.

At the same time, a strike team soldier walked forward with an envelope. "The first half of the necessary passwords and procedures are written in there," the leader said, relaxing marginally as fragments of another plan came to mind.

"What about the second half?" Lynch asked suspiciously.

The leader inclined the head towards Lynch and said, "That will cost the release of fourteen Army soldiers, two Autobots and one Decepticon."

From where he was sitting with the bound hostages, Captain Lennox started shaking his head. The leader was being stupid, exchanging valuable information for their lives. Information that would endanger the Autobots and destroy everything that Lennox, Sam Witwicky, Mikaela Banes, Maggie Madsen, Glen Whitmann, John Keller and many others had worked for in establishing peaceful relations with the aliens. His protest went unheeded as the many guards hauled the soldiers up and escorted them and the remaining Autobots out as a strike team member walked forward with the other half of the information. Apparently unrestricted access to the Pentagon network was more appealing to Lynch than keeping Autobots and humans prisoner.

The leader waited until the door was closed before giving the sharp hand gesture.

Only Lynch's bodyguards saw it coming. The strike team either pulled small firearms out or swiftly picked up the weaponry that had been placed on the ground. The second-in-command picked up the fallen sniper's rifle and quickly faded into the background. The sounds of staccato gunfire filled the domed room almost immediately, albeit briefly. The leader, who had been running low on time and patience, cut to the chase and simply targeted and killed the two bodyguards that had been flanking Lynch. Lynch meanwhile turned and began to run for the exit with the envelopes while the remaining ten soldiers opened fire on the strike team.

Captain Henry Crowley did not focus the crosshairs on Lynch himself, but more rather the exit. The second that Lynch was in the center of the scope, the captain pulled the trigger, sending the paralysis toxin straight into the back of Lynch's thigh.

Lynch howled in pain, which distracted soldiers on both side for a few moments. Then Crowley used a normal gun to fire a shot straight into a support, which threatened the stability of the observation decks as well as the aim of the soldiers who were up on it. Then he picked up the sniper rifle once again, and shot the second toxin dart into Lynch's arm because the man was struggling to escape. Crowley muttered something profane about the sheer determination of the guy before using a normal gun to target the other arm and leg, seeing that Lynch was _still_ trying to escape.

Seeing their leader being shot was having a demoralizing effect on the survivors. Gunfire ceased as soldiers slowly surrendered one by one. The strike team spread out and quietly but effectively rounded up both the seven prisoners and the three dead.

Ross Lynch was unceremoniously hauled to the leader of the strike team. Two strike team members propped him onto his knees so that he wasn't completely on the ground, but he wasn't at the leader's eye level as the person's equal.

"You… you devious _son of a bitch!"_ Lynch screamed at the leader in fury. "I can't believe I actually fell for that!"

"I can," Crowley said, pulling his helmet off and grinning at Lynch. "Long time no see, eh Ross? I think your employment with Sector Seven has gotten to your head a bit. You still thought Wilson was your buddy remember?"

"Sorry Lynch, but paybacks can be a real bitch," the leader said calmly.

"I don't even know you!"

Crowley and Tobias Jackson, who had pulled his helmet off, flanked the leader. "I would think, that you would remember an assassination target," the leader said coldly, undoing the clasps of the helmet and pulling it off.

Lynch's gut twisted so badly that he thought he would throw up right there as Antonia Stanton's ice blue eyes seared right through him. Her blond hair was in messy ponytail, and he could see a faint scar line running down the side of her face. To make a long story short, she looked _very_ angry.

"But… the agent…" Lynch began.

"Is dead," Stanton snarled. "Turns out he was a poor shot with poor reflexes."

Lynch floundered for names, thinking for his backup plans. "Agent 25…" he began, a nasty threat forming in his mind.

"Is still behind bars as he always has been for the last couple of days," Stanton interrupted. "Crowley can be quite a good mimic when he puts his mind to it. Oh, and if you're wondering, Thayer is also still alive; we just made that poisoning story up so you would have something to gloat about." She feigned a sympathetic smile and said, "I'm sure that you and 'Agent 25' will have _a lot_ to talk about when you're in prison together; you're going in for a long time, especially after this."

"Wait!" Lynch yelled as his guards began to haul him away and Stanton turned to leave. She paused and turned to look back at him. "How did you know all about this?" he asked.

Stanton smiled, and said, "My good friend Tobias has a major character flaw, and it's that he has this awful habit of eavesdropping on certain private conversations between officials. Then he can't seem to keep quiet about it when we're discussing current events."

Lynch struggled against his guards – or at least he would if he could move. What wasn't numbed was still burning painfully. Tobias Jackson was the newest addition to the hit list now.

"One more thing Lynch. I can shorten your sentence a bit if you truthfully answer this question," Stanton said, looking at him again. "Are you familiar with a Sector Seven agent named Craig Donaldson?" When Lynch reluctantly nodded, she asked, "Do you know where he currently is?"

"No." Lynch growled out.

Stanton nodded slowly, and then ordered, "Take him away." Then she gestured for Crowley to follow her. She walked over to the fallen sniper and bent down to take the feet while Crowley took the arms. The strike team herded the prisoners out of the facility while Stanton and Crowley carried the fallen comrade back around to the front of the facility, where survivors were gathering and taking silent head counts and such.

The atmosphere was quiet. The dead cannot speak, and the living had no energy to muster for speech. Stanton ignored the quiet whispers from the 401st pilots as they realized who they were seeing, and she and Crowley reverently laid down the sniper in the line of fallen. Then she walked over to where the pilots were resting. Arianna was lying down on a white blanket, muttering to herself that giant robots didn't exist and that she had been seeing things in the thick of combat. Jay Perkins was fixing a temporary bandage on Marty's arm while Lewis huddled against John Parker. The four 318th pilots who had been standing in for Tyler, Riley, Alexis, and Tobias were talking quietly amongst themselves, standing up when they saw her approaching. She gestured that they sit back down, and they obeyed. Farther along, she found Andrew holding an ice pack to his head, burns decorating his exposed arm. She felt guilty for not anticipating the anti-aircraft batteries; if they had known or even suspected, she would have tried to prepare for the possibility. Marcia was huddled against her cousin Maxwell, a feisty young man who served in the army just to maintain variety in the Williams family. Jackson LeMarone, Andrew's flight partner, was attached to a small machine for assisted breathing, but Stanton privately suspected that Jackson was not going to survive much longer, considering the massive amount of blood that had amassed since he was placed there. Walking on, she finally found Alexis Preston lying still on a stretcher on the ground, her entire torso wrapped tightly in white bandages. Starscream's hologram was sitting cross-legged by Preston's head, and he cast the general a suspicious and angry look at her approach. Stanton studiously ignored him, and instead checked Preston's pulse. While weak, it was still there.

"Ma'am?"

She turned and walked away from the 401st survivors towards where Crowley was standing, Lennox at his side. "I told you captain that I would never betray the Autobots," she said simply.

Lennox scowled. "That sort of stunt you pulled was nerve wracking, but… thank you for getting us released," he said, rubbing his neck in exhaustion. He turned to Crowley and said, "If you will excuse me, I have a wife and daughter to get home to."

"Did you get the headcount tally in?" Crowley asked as Lennox began to walk away.

"Yeah. If I remember correctly, everyone is present and accounted for. The list has everyone," Lennox said before heading back to his men.

Crowley checked his watch. "Time is eleven forty-five. We have fifteen minutes to clear out," he told Stanton calmly.

She shook her head. "We actually have a little longer; Keller's plane gets in around noon, he has to drive from the Air Force base he lands in to either the Pentagon or his house. If it's the Pentagon, he'll get the email we sent him, and it will probably be twelve thirty by then. If he goes to his house, he'll probably check his email there or refuse to do any more work today," she said, adjusting her gloves so that they in a more comfortable position on her hands. "Either way I want everyone to be out of here by twelve fifteen, just in case."

"I'll tell the med teams to start packing up and getting the injured and dead out of here. Then we need to do something to clean up this mess," Crowley said, turning slightly and eyeing the destroyed barracks. "I suppose we could just tell Keller and the other bigwigs in Washington that we were using it for target practice."

"They won't fall for it, especially when they decide to carry out an 'official investigation', or at least their version of it," Stanton disagreed, following Crowley back to the mobile medical units. "It's better if we blow the place completely. According to the head of each team, all people, friendly or otherwise, have been cleared out of the area. There is no point in trying to salvage the command center; Lynch probably erased all the data there."

Crowley nodded absently as he scanned the area and found the four Autobots on one side of the resting area and Barricade near Starscream near the 401st survivors. "Everyone in the squadron okay?" he asked, turning back to the general.

Stanton shook her head. "LeMarone is possibly dead, Preston is in serious critical condition, and Aliskevicz will probably need psychological therapy after this. I think she saw Starscream in the midst of combat, which is decidedly not the best time to encounter a giant robot," she said, adjusting her path to walk towards the small fleet of vehicles that had arrived during the conflict. "It was a good thing that we did not permit Banes or Witwicky to participate in this; they're just young adults and even the battle hardened soldiers had difficulty today."

Crowley just grunted. He didn't like teenagers very much, at least not after his two nieces and nephew scratched his car and repainted over the damage with cheap poster paint. "Now about that pesky Italian…" he began.

"He has immunity here in DC captain. Sorry, but once we're back in the southwest, you can go back to hating and chasing him," Stanton interrupted. "Now, go tell the rest of the strike team to get the few packs of dynamite we brought along and place it all in the weak and/or the stress points of the structure. It should just collapse in on itself after the initial explosion."

"Don't want to keep the evidence?"

Stanton narrowed her eyes but said calmly, "No. I want it all destroyed as though it never existed." With that, she walked up to the nearby Toyota and leaned on the passenger door so she could survey the scene before her.

The word that departure was soon had spread through the massive makeshift camp like a figurative wildfire, and already the various medical teams were packing up and preparing patients for transport. Two 'borrowed' coach buses were waiting to escort the soldiers back to Andrews; they couldn't risk using army jeeps and vans which would only attract unwanted attention. The jets that were still flyable were powering up, and the Autobots finally folded down into their alt modes. Optimus was willing to pull the trailer to carry the soldiers too weary to operate smaller vehicles. The president's daughter was escorted to one of the vehicles that would take her straight to the White House, and Stanton herself had selected the driver so she trusted that it would arrive to the presidential residence without problem.

At high noon they were all ready to move out. The medical vehicles went first in the convoy, led by Ratchet back to the medical facility at Andrews. The main bulk of prisoners and other soldiers went next. Stanton didn't plan on keeping the prisoners; she was going to release all except the leaders of the resistance. She wanted to see Lynch behind bars, and was determined to get him in there for life if possible.

The strike team went last in the three cars left. "Do you want to do the honors?" Crowley asked cautiously, offering the small device that would detonate the strategically-placed dynamite and blow the facility sky-high. Crowley wasn't sure how the general would react to such a simple question, but considering what they had all gone through, any type of reaction was possible.

"You may," Stanton said, calmly declining the detonator. Crowley nodded, and then pressed the red button. They all heard a faint rumble, and then a loud _booom_ echoed throughout the area as the entire facility blew, sending debris flying everywhere. Just as Stanton had predicted, the facility then collapsed on itself into a burning inferno. "Someone will probably see the smoke, report the fire, and then the fire crews will put it out," Stanton said, opening the passenger car door of the Toyota she had been leaning against. "We'll send a driver over in two hours just to check."

"Hope we don't have a raging forest fire by then," Crowley muttered as he got into the driver's side. Three engines roared to life, and then the last three cars left the vicinity while all the evidence of what had happened in the past four hours burned away to nothing but mere innocent ash.

Crowley was quiet, and Stanton leaned her head against the window. Crowley finally broke the silence by saying, "They found Tom when we were running for Lynch."

Stanton turned her head to look at him to indicate her interest.

Crowley hesitated, thinking of the most diplomatic way to phrase it, and then said, "His condition is still unknown." With those last words, he focused back on the road and drove the rest of the way to Andrews Air Force base in silence.

Behind them, thick black smoke from the barracks curled up into the cloudy skies, burning away all traces of the battle… as though it had never happened.

----------

A/N: Wow, that was intense to write. I hope those battle scenes were all right for everybody. Okay, the story on my end is that I have extremely restricted Internet access. In other words, it's right in my reach, but I don't have the passwords or anything to access it (it's driving me crazy really). So basically, the next update for Air Force One will be on July 24th 2009. One more thing too before I go; I regret to bring it up but we are nearing the end of the story. So something to think about would be if you readers wanted to see a sequel or not. You don't have to let me know until the last chapter or so. It's just something to keep in mind. :-)


	39. Never Forget

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Never Forget

All young creatures during the beginning of their lives receive constant instruction in the ways of the world. Young are always rewarded for good behavior, and chastised for malevolent behavior. It is a common act, from the human child to the small ant. The trials and lessons are ingrained into the mind in the form of instincts, the necessary tool for survival. Instincts stay with all from the young years until death itself.

Even as an adult, Stanton still possessed a certain instinct that was common in five-year old children, the instinct that warned the person that they were in deep, deep trouble. That instinct had kicked in last night around eight in the evening when she'd received an email from an apparently very pissed off Secretary of Defense. The email was short and to the point; arrive first thing in the morning after breakfast to his office in the Pentagon for a meeting. As usual, she didn't obey the order 'come immediately'. Instead, she checked on the line of hospital patients, managed to secure a muffin for the trip, and then accepted Bumblebee's offer for a ride to the Pentagon.

A few hours later found her outside Keller's office, staring at the new fish tank that Keller had added since her last visit. A catfish was prowling around the lower levels of the tank while the silver bloodfin tetras swam around near the upper levels. A slow-moving Siamese beta was in the glass bowl that was one of the few decorations on the receptionist's desk. The beta at the moment was eyeing the bigger tank across the room, as though it could not wait for the opportunity to get into the tank and wreak havoc in the bigger environment. All it wanted was to get in the better tank and begin the battle for dominance.

Stanton couldn't shake the feeling that she too was about to be placed in an isolated environment, where she could see all and vice versa and her goal would be within visual range, but always out of reach.

Stanton repressed a sigh; she wished Keller would hurry up and call her in. He was wasting her time and she had better things to do than just sit around in a waiting room. She fidgeted with her military uniform a bit; it suddenly felt a little too tight.

"General Stanton?"

Stanton looked up at the receptionist, who had just spoken to her. The receptionist smiled uneasily at the general's blank expression and said, "Mr. Keller will see you now. Have a good morning."

"Too late," she muttered as she stood up from the semi-comfortable padded chair she'd been sitting in and walked to the office door. She hesitated before entering, and then asked, "How bad is his temper usually?"

The receptionist shrugged, unperturbed by the apparently familiar question. "Not bad usually, but I think today is the worst," she replied. She frowned, and then asked politely, "Why, did you do something to upset him?"

Stanton thought about for a minute, and then answered, "Nothing more than the usual." It was the truth really. The last time she'd been ordered to appear before him was hours before the Oroville trials. Keller had been ready to bring down the rains of Hell upon her in fury for her 'rash actions', but restrained his temper only because she'd just heard the confirmed death of her husband. Now, two years later, there was nothing holding Keller back.

She blew up Oroville. She blew up an abandoned barracks. Two huge explosions.

Nothing new there.

"Good luck," the receptionist added as Stanton opened the door and entered the office, not bothering to knock as announcement of her arrival.

She wasn't going to face the angry administrator alone then. Joseph Thayer offered a sheepish smile as she sat down next to him without being invited. He looked worn out, as though Keller had hazed him first before setting the target sights on Stanton. Keller on the other hand had a blank expression. His face betrayed no hint of his emotions, except for a slight red flush to his face. The hand that was gripping the pen was white-knuckled, and Stanton braced herself for the worst.

"I don't know what to say," Keller finally said slowly, carefully as though to keep his tongue in check in case he ended up saying something he would later regret. "General, I expected something like this from you albeit on a lesser scale. Chief, I didn't see this coming from you."

Titles instead of names. He was extremely upset. More so than he was after Mission City or Oroville. Stanton cocked her head, a small and polite smile on her face. She wasn't going to be the one to start this unpleasant conversation; it was better to be the one ending it rather than the one starting it.

Keller apparently didn't care either way. "General, you… faked your death, you broke God-knows-how-many rules never mind laws, you blew up _more _government property…" he said in the ominous low tone that promised punishment later.

"Pardon me," Stanton interrupted, and she heard Thayer sigh beside her. "When you say that I blew up 'more government property', that statement sort of indicates that I've done it before, which means that you're acknowledging that a major percentage of Oroville was indeed government property," she said calmly. She did not mention however that since Oroville was government property, it meant that some of the charges from two years ago were valid after all, and she wasn't going to bring _that_ up.

Keller narrowed his eyes. "Oroville was the property of Sector Seven. Even as a secret branch, Sector Seven was still a part of the United States military. The military is under the command of the federal government. So in a roundabout way, Oroville was indeed government property," Keller explained slowly as though he thought she would have trouble understanding him if he spoke any faster. He leaned back in his chair, and eyed her calculatingly. Then he sighed, and it looked as though all the fight drained out of him, leaving him looking weary and worn out. Stanton wondered if he looked forward to the career change that awaited him in January of 2009. Unlike her and Thayer, Keller's job was dependent on who was in the White House. Sure the next president might ask him to stay, but there was always the chance he would say no.

Keller leaned forward again, jerking her out of her musings. "Help me understand what you were thinking when you decided to act on all this," he said calmly. "What were the motives behind your actions?"

Stanton was quiet, thinking back to when she thought was the beginning. "I did everything because I could not allow Sector Seven to get away with the deaths of so many innocent people," she stated in stiff and formal manner.

"How do the Autobots fit into all this?" Keller asked.

Thayer spoke this time. "Even I'm not sure how they were worked in," he said, glancing at Stanton. "I was sure I knew everything, but I have a feeling now that you left some seemingly minor details out, general." He paused, and then said, "Toni, this conversation is off the record. Anything said in here won't be used against you later."

Stanton stared at her hands in a contemplative silence, and Keller wondered if she was reflecting upon the Oroville trials when everything she said in and out of the courtroom had been warped around into falsehood. Keller wasn't too sure how to deal with this; this was only the second time during his career as secretary of defense that he was going to have to coax information out of the usually chatty woman.

Thayer had better luck without thinking about it like Keller did. "Start at Mission City," he suggested. "You told me that you suspected sabotage and that the whole attack was a diversion so that the main event could progress without notice."

Stanton sighed one more time, and then finally said, "It started after I read the official report from the investigation concerning the attacks. First I thought that I was wrong and that it was a real attack after all. But then I found that the conclusion was too vague for a terrorist attack, so I got curious, especially since at that point, I had acquired my own visuals from the attacks."

"The images from the onboard cameras in the F-22s. Nice," Thayer said, grinning slightly. He turned to Keller and said, "Each jet is equipped with such technology so that commanding officers can review the exercise or actual campaign later and try to analyze what went wrong and what worked."

Keller winced.

"Then Keller publicly announced the existence and disbanding of Sector Seven. Why would a government agency take the fall for what was supposed to be a foreign attack?" Stanton said, looking at Keller.

"I told you the official story didn't add up, but you were confident that it was going to work," Thayer muttered to Keller, who scowled. To Stanton he asked, "How did you wind up with an alien in the ranks?"

Stanton scowled. "For the record, it wasn't my fault. Keller told me I needed nine pilots in seven days, so I took a shortcut and looked at the flight and military records of the candidates electronically rather than meeting the candidates personally. No one thought to warn me that one of the 'terrorists' used a F-22 and the hologram of a pilot as his disguise," she snapped. "I was just looking for someone who was the best match to Preston's personality profile so that there wouldn't be infighting in the ranks. Everything was going well between the pilots until the night of the Hoover Dam heist, when I actually figured out that there was a giant alien robot in the hangars. The heist was really meant to figure out what Sector Seven was doing."

"So by investigating Simmons, you stumbled across the Autobots. You already had recordings of their language. I'm surprised you didn't make the connection," Keller observed.

"It's kind of hard to make any kind of connection when the analysts you hired to do the translations don't level with you one hundred percent," Stanton hissed, beginning to dislike this meeting. She'd been told in the email that she was going to have to explain herself, but nowhere did it say that there was going to be an interrogation.

"Calm down. What exactly happened that night? The one before the 'assassinations' right?" Keller asked, leaning forward in interest.

Stanton reassembled her facial expressions to one of polite interest. "That night, my car blew up," she said, maintaining the straight face. "Tom, correctly assuming that it was an assassination attempt, panicked and confessed about knowing Starscream's identity and the connection between Starscream and 'NBE – 1'. So I pretended clueless when the four pilots returned, and got rid of Starscream at the first opportunity, albeit temporarily."

"I think... I think this brings us to the night of the assassination. This part I know already," Thayer added thoughtfully.

Keller's head snapped to Thayer's direction. "How do you know about it?" he demanded.

Thayer did not flinch. "She called me asking for my help the night it happened. Someone official had to make sure her orders went through," he replied without fear. "That is why I appeared so confident of my decisions."

"Anything else you both want to get out onto the table before we continue?" Keller growled. After a moment's silence, both Thayer and Stanton shook their heads. Keller turned back to Stanton and said, "Continue please."

"I only turned to him for help because I was in a mess and had very limited options when it came to who to entrust my secret to. Neither of my other two… aides had the authority to ensure that my wishes were carried out. If it's any comfort, I had to beg over the phone," Stanton said, wrinkling her face in disgust at the memory while Thayer chuckled. "I was genuinely angry and suspicious of Tom that evening. He just wasn't the man who barged into my quarters waving the rifle around in my face."

"Who was?" Keller asked.

Stanton smiled bitterly. "I don't usually protect the identities of assassins, but it no longer matters now. The assassin is dead now," she said coldly. "The assassin is in no position to cause further harm."

"Yet you continue to protect him," Keller observed. "You don't want to see the mastermind brought to justice."

"I saw the mastermind being hauled to justice, which is good enough for me. Protecting the assassin is the least I can do for…" Stanton replied, forcing herself to stop speaking before she said something she would regret later. Thayer patted her arm sympathetically and offered a tissue, which she refused.

Keller let that topic slide for now. He would have to review the autopsy reports later, assuming that they hadn't been tampered with yet either. "How did you pass off for dead? That was a pretty convincing act you performed," he said, leaning back in his chair again.

"She used hydrochlorothiazide, and she's still under close watch by several doctors for side effects," Thayer answered. "Turns out Sasquatch is well-equipped in the medicinal and drug department. Everyone who was present at the scene the morning after the assassination more or less saw Sasquatch give the antidote and Stanton's instructions to the paramedic Rose Connelly. Depends on how attentive the viewers were."

Keller frowned as he tried to think back to that morning. About that time he must've been too flustered with the situation to notice anything other than the major details. "Why do you think that Marcus Kowalski, Monica Wethersfield and Cornelius Randall were targeted as well?" he asked.

Stanton raised an eyebrow before she said, "Wethersfield and Kowalski had been involved with Oroville, and Randall was probably attacked because he was high up in the command chain. I did not think that Randall would be a victim." Thayer nodded in agreement to her words.

"Then, assuming I can still trust the report that Thayer submitted yesterday evening, Sector Seven agent Bradley White was arrested for espionage and attempted assassinations," Keller said, looking at the two of them. They both nodded solemnly. "What happened, General, after you 'died'? I am well aware of what happened at Area 51 afterwards."

Stanton mulled over her answer, deliberating over whose name to withhold. Sensing this, Thayer said, "Toni, let's not anger him further. Just tell him what he wants."

She tilted her chin up defiantly, but admitted anyway, "It was Ratchet and Miss Connelly who helped me escape the base. I needed Tom at my side so I instructed Crowley to come up with enough evidence for Tom to be convicted without questions from you. Tom was permanently removed from the base, and I texted Luigi to spring him out and provided details of the transportation methods, details that Crowley had supplied. That way, Tom would be gone, and Crowley would 'send' agents after him so you wouldn't have to think about him anymore."

"They never actually went then, did they?" Keller asked, and Thayer nodded.

"No, they did not. Sasquatch, Crowley, and Thayer all ensured everything went smoothly," Stanton said. She grimaced, and then said, "Then I told Luigi to help Tom to the east coast, where I met him again, here in DC."

"There was a rumor saying that if Tom had a weapon on hand, he would've actually killed her for everything she put him through," Thayer said conversationally, as though that sort of thing happened every day. "Then they smoothed things over and began planning out the operation as the Four-oh-first headed to DC, escorting _Air Force One_."

"Do I want to know how you knew that?" Keller asked warily.

Stanton smiled happily and said, "There was a GPS dot affixed to Preston's insignia. I figured that she would stay with the squadron, and I wanted to know where they were so I could eliminate chances of accidentally running into any of them."

"What, forgot to stick one to Starscream?" Keller snapped, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

"Wherever Preston was, Starscream was bound to be nearby," Stanton coolly replied. "Tobias received the operation plans from Tom, Tom went to sabotage Lynch a bit, then Tobias passed off our plan as his own. Tom was present at the place where Tobias met with the Autobots; apparently he had been sitting on the railing when Ratchet, Barricade, Miss Connelly, and the captain and her two companions arrived. We carried it all out yesterday morning, and I shared afternoon tea with Miss Connelly afterwards. End of story."

"Good friends with Miss Connelly then?" Keller asked, trying to mask his irritation.

"I asked her to sign on with us," Stanton said in a thoughtful manner.

"I hope for her sake and sanity she said no," Keller interrupted.

Stanton's scowl confirmed the answer. Beside her, Thayer said, "Mr. Secretary, sir, I included the casualty lists with the report I turned in yesterday evening. There were only a couple of deaths, many injured, and plenty of survivors. None of the injured were fatally wounded."

"Yet if I remember correctly, Oroville had only one death and no injuries," Keller reminded her.

"I would like to point out sir that those numbers only came from the investigation. Sector Seven could have had casualties but we'll never know because ex-agents are withholding the information," Thayer cut in before Stanton could speak.

"One more thing before I wrap things up. Why do you hate Simmons and Sector Seven so much?" Keller asked. "What… damned grudge is dictating your actions?"

Stanton pressed her lips into a thin line and didn't speak, but she did allow herself to think back to when it all started. She could still remember the irritation on her neck from the scratchy collar of her dress, the wobbliness of her five-year old legs as she carefully went down the staircase in her childhood home one step at a time. Although the visual image had long faded with time, she could still hear the soothing baritone of the voice as it gently ordered her to go back upstairs and wait so the voice's owner could answer the door. She remembered all the loud sounds after that; it was something that did not fade in time since it was the most emphasized part of the memory. The last thing she remembered was being discovered under the bed where she had been hiding for two days after the event.

Her mother had been sick with worry… Naira hadn't been home when it happened. She thought that her daughter had been a victim too.

"Let's just say that it's a misdirected hatred," Thayer finally answered for her. He knew everything… he figured it out when Stanton had suffered a memory relapse during basic military training, and he had helped her overcome that weakness.

Keller sighed, knowing it was time to get to the nasty part of the meeting. The general was going to hate him for the next part, but it was necessary. "Joseph, it appears I'm going to need to cuff her hands tighter than I originally planned to," Keller said grimly, leaning back into his seat. Stanton bowed her head slightly, the first sign of submission he'd ever gotten from her in his time spent in the Defense Department.

"We trust your judgment Mr. Keller," Thayer said respectfully, speaking in for the general when she did not immediately speak.

"All right," Keller said, catching Stanton's attention again. "First, I spoke with the president, and he said that I could discipline who I saw fit. First, General, your rank is to be spared, but your squadron is to be not."

Stanton opened her mouth as though to speak but Thayer shushed her with a look.

"The Four-oh-first is permanently, yes general, permanently, disbanded until either I or a successor says otherwise. The pilots will be separated into groups of one, and then passed to other air force squadrons. Tobias Jackson will return to the Fifty-first at Edwards. I don't care how you do it, but Starscream has three hours to _get out of here_ or I will give the Autobots permission to hunt him down," Keller said in a tone that permitted no argument. "As for you, ma'am, I am going to be transferring you to a post overseas where you will be partly in charge of a naval base instead of an air force one."

Stanton puffed up in immediate indignation and anger, but Thayer waved her down by saying, "General, it's not going to be awful; consider it as a chance at variety. Sector Seven has received punishments as well. Lynch is being sent to a high-security prison for life, Simmons has been stripped of his post and status and is being 'released' so to speak."

"Also, any computer files that were formerly in Sector Seven 's possession are being searched for and decoded as we speak," Keller said coldly. He lightened his tone as he said, "However, the president did ask that some reward be passed to you and your soldiers who participated in the mission, a reward for rescuing his daughter."

"I get my old post back?" Stanton asked hopefully.

"Nice try," Keller said, smiling now. "I actually had something better in mind." He chuckled at Stanton's 'I-don't-really-believe-you' expression.

"Actually Toni, I think that you would rather want what Keller's offering rather than your old post," Thayer said, winking.

Stanton scowled in a manner similar to a cross child as Keller leaned forward and paged the receptionist. "Amy, let them in," he said, checking briefly with the clock.

Stanton snorted and said, "John, there is possibly nothing that I want that you can get…" she began as the door behind her opened.

"Mommy!"

Stanton's head snapped around so fast at the high-pitched feminine voice that Thayer was sure that she would have to see a doctor about the whiplash. Stanton swiftly stood in shock, but braced herself as one small child and two twins barreled into the room and nearly sent their mother to the floor. Keller offered Thayer a victorious smile as the three children overwhelmed their mother, and then he respectfully acknowledged Naira Rodriguez, the formidable matriarch of the Stanton clan, who was standing in the doorway.

"Did you bring me back something French?" Amanda asked once she pulled her brother and sister away from her mother so she could have a turn. "Can we have a dog?"

Stanton laughed, a sound that seemed unnatural to be coming from her. "I have something better," she promised as Danielle elbowed her twin in the gut so she could get the next hug.

"Is it cold in France?" she asked once she managed to get her younger sister out of the way.

"I'll tell you all about it later," Stanton said, pulling her son in for a hug. As with any young teenager, he accepted it for a total of three seconds before he started trying to wiggle out of it. The general stood up and glanced at Keller, meaning to thank him. But Keller waved it off, gesturing to the children. Suddenly she raised an eyebrow at Keller. "I was wondering if I could borrow those two computer analysts again," she said sweetly.

"_No_," both Keller and Thayer said at the same time.

Stanton shrugged, as though to say 'I'll get them one way or another', and then began to usher her children out the door. She stopped dead in her tracks however when she made eye contact with her mother.

"You… faked… your… death?" Naira growled out, narrowing her eyes at her only daughter.

Stanton looked immediately at Keller in accusation, but Keller quickly pointed to Thayer, who winced at Stanton's accusing glare. Before she could vocally abuse him for leaking the news out however, Naira pulled her daughter into a tight hug all the while lecturing her in smooth Spanish.

The three children were more or less oblivious to the exchange going on above them.

Keller released a sigh of relief as the five of them left, and the door was securely shut. He turned to Thayer and said, "I know she has an older son. I'm hoping he won't want to join the military. One Stanton is bad enough, two are worse even if they aren't getting along. Now as for you, I am angry with you for willingly deceiving me like that…"

------------

In his long career as second-in-command in Megatron's army, Starscream had faced down rebelling Decepticons, backstabbers, and self-righteous Autobots, the last one always being a guarantee. He had weathered Megatron's wrath, the hard and comfortless life of a soldier, and the many setbacks the Decepticons experienced in the field of combat. He had survived through the defeat at Tyger Pax, and the annihilation of what passed as Decepticon troops during the conflict at the human city of Mission City. Starscream was a fighter and a survivor.

But the damn medic in front of him was threatening to hit him over the head with a metal pole if he kept insisting to go into the medical wards.

Starscream sized Sasquatch up as the doctor planted himself in front of the door that would lead to the patients' rooms. "I cannot… no I _will _not, allow you past this door," Sasquatch growled. "The last thing that _anyone_ needs is for you to be riling up the captain when she should be resting!"

Suddenly the door opened, bumping Sasquatch in the back and pushing him forward. "Whoops, sorry doc," Ari said as she shut the door behind her. "Didn't see you there." In Starscream's opinion, the usually hyper woman looked tired, complete with dark circles that betrayed the lack of sleep she'd had the night before.

"How are you doing?" Sasquatch asked politely as Ari eyed Starscream from across the room.

"A wreck," she said slowly as her brain began to recognize the other man in the room. "I had a vivid nightmare about giant robots last night, and I'm scared that I'm turning into Tyler. Captain's doing fine by the way. Sleepy but still able to talk a bit."

Sasquatch looked irritated that Ari had just given her mission away, and Starscream realized that the doctor was allowing everyone else but him through.

The fact irritated him

Ari remained completely oblivious to the brewing battle as she walked away, muttering to herself about inner demons or something along the lines of that. Starscream looked back at the doctor, ready to challenge the man, but Sasquatch seemingly called it quits and backed down, retreating to the nurse's station to lurk and wait.

Unhindered by overprotective doctors, Starscream walked into the long hallway. He didn't need to know Alexis's room number; having worked by her side for the last couple of months, her heartbeat was fully committed to his memory.

It might come in handy in the future.

She was half-awake when he entered. The bed was tilted up so that she could see the much of the room without turning her head. Her eyes flickered in his direction as he slowly walked up to her bedside.

"How do you feel?" he asked, trying not to make the question sound awkward.

"Like I got hit by a truck," she said, wincing when she realized her words. "No offense to Optimus intended," she added.

"I'm sure he won't be offended," Starscream replied, rather pleased by the phrase 'hit by a truck'. The phrase showed that it was possible that Optimus could severely harm the humans even by accident. He asked after a moment of silence, "Is it the medication that is making you drowsy?"

She shrugged. Ari was right. Alexis wasn't prepared for long conversations yet. "That and I just woke up after sleeping for eighteen hours straight, so it could be anything," she said, lowering her eyes to the white bedspread. "Doctor says that I should be fine in a couple of weeks though; I didn't lose anything vital other than a large amount of blood."

"What do you plan to do once you are well again?" Starscream asked calmly, eyeing her.

She let out a breath, and then said, "Wait for Ari to complete the latest round of psychological therapy, and then go with her to Boston. Spend a couple of weeks in Massachusetts, and then go with her and Tyler to Great Britain… they got some kind of a bring-a-friend deal through a friend of Ari's. Tyler's bringing Jeff, Ari's brother. Then while we're there, I'll be keeping an eye on Ari while she causes some epic ruckus like she always does. Then come back to America when it's time to return to duty once again." She tilted her chin towards Starscream and quietly asked, "What about you?"

"Why is Aliskevicz receiving therapy?" Starscream asked, neatly dodging Alexis's question about his question.

Unaware that her question went unanswered, Alexis shrugged, a small smile playing around on her mouth. "Oh, I don't know. Something about seeing several giant robots after a F-22 turned into one during combat. You know how she is. Sasquatch said that he had to inject a large amount of sedatives into her system so that she wouldn't cause a major fuss on the way back here," she said, winking at Starscream. "She's also afraid of turning into a 'Tyler' so to speak."

"Makes one wonder what on earth she saw in order to think that large robots existed," Starscream replied, playing along with Alexis's little game.

Alexis shrugged. "It's Ari. Only God knows how her mind really works. I know I don't, and I've known her for years. Her driving instructor was fired for reckless driving, she likes skating on this pond near her house in her sneakers during the winter, she has this weird obsession with Barricade, and she has this fierce, irrational loyalty to her home state of Massachusetts. I'm guessing it's something in her blood," she said, fingering the hem of the bedspread as though she suddenly couldn't meet him eye to eye. "I'm going to be in here for a while, that's all I know."

"Then I'll leave now so that you can recover," Starscream said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead briefly. He pulled back quickly when Alexis suddenly flinched as though in pain. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I accidentally got my skin pinched between tubes or something," Alexis said, rubbing the side of her torso where her body had been injured. "I'll be fine." She looked up at him and asked, "Is it too much to ask for you to promise to come back?"

"Of course," he replied, and then watched in silence as her eyelids finally fluttered shut. Then he stood up and left the hospital room, and then soon left the facility itself.

----------------

Starscream returned to his natural self, intending to leave, but stopped when he realized that the hangar was not devoid of human life. General Stanton was standing by him, leaning on the landing equipment to be exact while reading what appeared to be a trivial magazine. A somewhat subtle order to stay put until he talked to her or else.

She didn't flinch when his hologram appeared right in front of her. Instead, she finished reading whatever story was on the page in front of her before looking up at him. "So," she began. "Trying to sneak out unnoticed?" she asked, lowering the magazine to watch him.

He remained stubbornly silent.

Stanton sighed, and then said, "I have to admit, both Tom and I were worried that you would blow our identities when we were at the planning meeting the day before the operation was carried out."

"I was unsure as to your heat signatures, seeing that you were supposed to be dead and he was supposed to be behind bars as you humans put it," Starscream coolly replied. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You had been in the medical wing numerous times hadn't you?"

She shrugged. "Riley needed a daily visitor, seeing that his flight partner was working and the others were pulling together the operation." She peered at him and asked, "Are you planning to stay on with the United States Air Force or will you be moving on?" At his expression, she added, "I need to know because you have about three hours to get out of here before the Autobots come after you."

Starscream scowled. He wasn't in the mood to play games with this femme, especially she had just proven herself to be just as slippery as a Decepticon. Even now, as she stood before him with a somewhat innocent expression on her face, he wasn't sure if the Autobots were really going to come after him or if she was trying to get rid of him.

Although, if he left without a fuss, it might raise unnecessary suspicions...

"The captain…" he began.

"Will understand," the general interrupted. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow and said, "Unless you have a reason for staying… then I wouldn't say anything."

"No, I don't," Starscream said, sensing the opening. "In fact, I was thinking of returning to my home planet to find some of my… _comrades_ and begin rebuilding our world. It is time for a new era of peace there… we've been ready for it for the last several thousand of your years."

Stanton let out a breath through her teeth in slight surprise at the number. "That long? No wonder you thought to pay a visit," she said calmly, eyeing him. "Does that mean the Autobots are going to leave soon too?" she asked.

Starscream feigned a shrug. "I… work independently of the Autobots. They may stay here a little longer," he said, careful with his words since he wasn't sure how much the woman knew about his kind now. "May I ask as to what you will be doing now?" he asked conversationally.

Stanton sighed, and then said, "Possibly filling out paperwork and dealing with the politicians and superiors… the usual really." She offered a half-smile and said, "Trust me, you're not missing out on anything important if you left now. Just a bunch of bored pilots hanging around causing trouble while politicians get all fickle about the paperwork."

"Then I believe that I will leave now," Starscream said, very sure in the fact that he did not want to stick around to deal with squabbling and immature humans. He had better things to do, and he had to leave in order to accomplish them.

Stanton stepped away from the F-22 and turned to watch as the jet's engines began to power up. She glanced at the hologram before it fizzed out of existence completely, and the giant Transformer finally took to the skies from Andrews… for what she hoped was the last time.

Keller would have clouted her over the head if he knew she had been this daring. Stanton had been lying through her teeth when she told Starscream that he wouldn't be missing out on anything important. True, the pilots were going to stir up a little trouble as a way of celebrating their win, and it was true that the politicians were going to be fickle about the paperwork, but she had conveniently omitted the fact that she was pulling all able mission participants together for one last time. Her purpose of this meeting was to really forewarn the 401st pilots of the impending break in ranks. She didn't want Starscream to know that just in case he did decide to come back for one dark purpose or another.

She wanted to see how he would react to that… assuming he did decide to come back. Furthermore, it would keep the goal of manipulating Preston into doing as he wished a little farther away than it had been now. The captain hadn't seen it, but Stanton had been extremely suspicious at Starscream's and Barricade's temperaments when she recruited them into the job. When the Autobots initially described both Decepticons to her, she had been braced to be dealing with aliens that were planning to bring Doomsday with them. Instead, she had found two compliant robots, and she trusted the Autobots only because they had had trustworthy humans able to vouch for them.

Stanton calmly walked upstairs and pushed open the door that led to another hangar where the hopefully brief meeting would happen. Amanda was in the middle of her nap while her elder sister and brother babysat her while playing cards in their hotel room. Naira was… Stanton didn't want to know what her mother was up to. It had been rather terrifying when she had been forced to explain herself to her mother over breakfast earlier that day.

To her delight, most of the strike force was there. Even Ari, who had been disoriented, terrified, bewildered, and simply baffled at the recent events, was there, but she was eyeing Ironhide's alt mode suspiciously. The Autobots were using their holograms, as though they were aware of Ari's severe discomfort. The few 401st pilots present were somewhat surprised to see Stanton standing there, while Crowley nodded appreciatively. They were all sitting, but Stanton remained standing before them. To her unhappiness, Tom was not present among the men and women there. It was beginning to drive her crazy, not knowing where he was or when she was going to see him again.

"Well," Stanton began calmly, and what little chatter there had been died quickly. "I'm going to make this quick. First, I want to thank everyone profusely for helping pull this off successfully." She looked down at her hands for a moment and said, "Second, well, there were a few repercussions, but," here she looked up at them again, "most of them landed on me for scaring Keller by faking my death. The reason for the faking was, well, I didn't know who was wanted me six feet under, so I tried to draw them out into the open."

"Then Lynch snapped up the bait," Crowley added, earning a few snickers from a few army soldiers. Stanton noticed with slight sorrow that pilots Lewis and Andrew, as well as the captain, and Marcia's cousin Max Williams were not present, but she took small solace from the fact that she knew for sure that they were in the hospital for severe injuries. Jackson LeMarone, Andrew's faithful and close flight partner, was never going to return to the land of the living. He had slipped into a coma due to severe blood loss the day before and then died earlier that morning before Stanton had left to Keller's office.

Keller was right in hinting that this operation had been more messier than Oroville.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she plowed ahead. "There will be no repercussions for the Autobots, or any human allies that have worked with them since Qatar. However, there are a few officials who do wish to speak with you about something for the future," she said, and Lennox visibly relaxed where he was sitting with Ironhide's hologram on the GMC's hood. "Unfortunately," she continued, and saw a few more people tense. "Unfortunately, the four-oh-first will be disbanded, and the pilots will be separated into groups of ones."

Ari's hand predictably shot up at this point. Once Stanton had acknowledged her, Ari asked, "Does that mean no more Tyler Collins as my flight partner anymore?"

"Sorry Aliskevicz, that's exactly what it means," Stanton said, grimacing. Ari's new commanding officer was going to have something close to a human version of the atomic bomb if he tried to restrict Ari's contact with Tyler.

Ari slumped and appeared confused as to whether she should be happy or not. She raised her hand again, and then without waiting to be acknowledged, asked, "There's going to be no jets that turn into giant robots right?"

Stanton shook her head. If Starscream did come back, they would root him out in weeks if not days. "As for me," she continued, "I will be going overseas for a little change in scenery."

"You don't sound excited about it," James Baxter observed.

Stanton offered an insincere smile and said, "That's because I'm _not_ excited about it." She glanced at the pilots and said, "You will receive your new assignments and commands in a few hours, so be prepared. It was a true honor working alongside all of you, and again, I thank you profusely for your efforts." She took a deep breath, knowing that this was probably the last time she was going to see everyone here. Military life was one of the most unpredictable lifestyles out there. Tomorrow, one of them or even herself might be dead. "Dismissed," she finally said calmly. She waited until the humans began to move, and flinched when Ari suddenly shrieked.

"What the hell…" someone said in an annoyed voice.

"I swear I saw that truck move on its own," Ari said, staring at the GMC as though she had just seen a poltergeist. She looked around wildly at the other vehicles present, and then said, "I'm taking a public bus from here on out." She stopped in her tracks as it occurred to her that a bus was a vehicle too, and then she said, "Strike that, I'm walking, biking, whatever from here on out. No more cars!" She more or less ran out of there, presumably going to the doctor's office for the third time that day.

"Miss Connelly? A word if you don't mind," Stanton said as the red-haired paramedic was about to leave with Ratchet's hologram.

"Yes, general?" Rose asked, and Stanton had no doubt that the woman was thinking of the hours spent together cooped up in Ratchet's cab on the long trip to Washington DC.

"Did you ever give the antidote to Lynch? He's going to be rolling around in pain the longer we keep him on the toxin," Stanton said.

"Don't worry; I gave the antidote last night. He should be feeling better by now," Rose said, and Stanton nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to sign on with us?" Stanton asked, hoping that maybe the paramedic's answer had changed in the last eighteen hours.

"Thank you, ma'am, but I am sure that I want to stay with Ratchet," Rose said, respectfully declining Stanton's offer.

"Very well, but the offer will stay open, if you ever change your mind," Stanton said, and then turned to Crowley, who had suddenly appeared at her side.

"Ten points for Connelly, staying out of the rat traps you seem so fond of creating and using," Crowley muttered, and winced as Stanton kicked his ankle. "So, did you tell Keller about Kingfisher floating around DC for a while, or the numerous agents who were stalking him and the people he'd associated with for the last couple of months?"

"Captain, we don't want to keep a hardworking man like Keller up at night worrying over things that are just not going to happen," Stanton chided him. "I didn't tell him any of the, ah, 'information-gathering' methods we employed… I'm pretty sure half of what we did was illegal…"

"Pretty sure or dead sure?" Crowley asked curiously as the hangar finally emptied.

Stanton offered a discreet smile, and said, "Dead sure. If I told him everything, then what could I keep as a personal secret? That's the trick, not telling someone everything. Let them guess and take comfort in the fact that you can reuse tricks in the future without getting called out on it."

"Does that mean you're not faking your death ever again?" Crowley asked sarcastically.

Stanton shrugged. "Hopefully not, unless the occasion calls for it again," she replied. She made a face and said, "Most likely not. I had to do a lot of stretching after Miss Connelly delivered the antidote. It was uncomfortable really."

"So, not a word to Keller then?" Crowley asked suspiciously.

Stanton offered a sweet smile. "Some things are just better left unsaid," she said, and then with those words she turned on her heel and left the room altogether. Crowley paused, running the words through his head before turning to run after her.

-------------

A/N: This isn't the last chapter! Seeing that the last chapter has bit of a note at the end (not too long, promise), I'm going to let you know that the last chapter is going to be composed of sections outlining what most of the characters are up to at the very end. The last chapter will be posted up on July 25, 2009, just because. Confused about something? Let me know and I'll try to clear it up.


	40. Reflection

Chapter Forty

Reflection

"Well, talk about one hell of a ride," Crowley said quietly, observing the sunset before him. It had taken him several hours to relocate the general, who had been with her children at the time. So now they stood on the balcony railing of the hotel that Naira had chosen, watching the sun sink below the horizon. "Most of us were able to pull through to live and see another day." He leaned forward on the railing before him.

"Mmm," Stanton agreed, but her thoughts were not on the conversation on hand but rather on the three children who were eating their dinners on the other side of the wall behind her. "What is Tom's condition now?" she asked curiously. The security captain hadn't mentioned Tom at all that day.

"Still unknown, ma'am," Crowley replied cautiously. "Sasquatch isn't saying anything," he added as an explanation on why he couldn't really say much on the subject yet, and why he was trying to avoid it completely. "Where was Starscream at the debriefing earlier today?" he asked, tactfully changing the subject from Tom Wilson to the dangerous Decepticon that had abruptly vanished hours ago.

"He left. Keller wanted him gone within three hours of the order being delivered, and he told me that he went back to his home planet," Stanton replied, sighing as she thought of the other Decepticon who had also vanished not too long after Starscream did. It was probably for the best in the end, considering that everyone had felt more at ease at the meeting with neither Barricade nor Starscream hanging around.

"I for one hope he's gone for good. Never liked him much," Crowley muttered, but Stanton ignored the not-so-discreet comment. Crowley turned to face Stanton and asked, "Are you going to be coming back to Area 51 now that Keller literally laid down the law or are you gone for good?"

"Officially, I'm gone for good and only permitted one more visit to collect my personal possessions and any other items. Unofficially, well, let's just say that I'm hoping you won't deactivate my passkey and allow me to come back for a visit," Stanton said, looking at the captain.

"Will do, ma'am," he said, and she smiled. "Where will you be going?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

Stanton made a face. "Some United States naval base in the East China Sea," she said. "Supposedly, while I'm on leave, I can go to Shanghai, Kagoshima, or any of the cities in that area whether it's in Japan or China. I'm going to be gone as long as the Secretary of Defense so chooses."

Crowley snorted. "Yeah, just wait and see. Thayer will pull a few strings, and you'll be back before you know it," he said.

Stanton shrugged. "Keller was pretty mad at him too for covering for me," she reminded Crowley.

"Mommy?"

Stanton and Crowley turned to see Amanda standing on the threshold. She pouted and said, "I don't wanna not see you Mommy." She came over and grabbed her mother's hand and started dragging Stanton away to the open door to the base.

Stanton mouthed, 'I'll call to finish the conversation up', and then Crowley watched as Amanda successfully dragged her mother inside. Then he turned back to the sunset, left alone with his own thoughts and memories.

-------------

"You'll be feeling better in no time," Sasquatch assured her as he checked the IV line. "Trust me, captain, it's all a part of the job."

"What's that?" Alexis asked curiously, gesturing to the yellow unmarked envelope that was sitting on the table by her bed. Sasquatch hesitated, reached over to the table, and then handed her the envelope. He didn't know what was in it, but he had been deliberately holding it back in case it held ill news. He suspected that because it had been a military courier who had delivered it, and as a doctor, he rarely ever saw a courier interrupt the healing process of the receiver of the letter. Generally, some waited until the person in question was out of the hospital before dropping another figurative bombshell on them.

He watched the captain carefully as she pulled the letter out. He was prepared to yank it out of her fingers if her monitors showed signs of growing distress. The last thing the captain needed was another stressful item to worry about. But instead, her face paled slightly, but then the color returned as she read on. Finally she laughed harshly and tossed it onto the bedspread. "What is it?" Sasquatch finally asked, bewildered at the captain's reaction.

"A letter informing me that as a punishment for leading the soldiers, I would have been court-martialed and possibly discharged. The nice thing about it however was that my reward for leading the rescue operation to save the president's daughter was that there will be no mention of this in my record," she said, folding her arms loosely across her chest. "On March 1, 2008 however, I'm to report to Fort Deven in central Massachusetts to return to active service under a new commanding officer." She looked at Sasquatch and asked, "What is going to happen to General Stanton?"

The doctor shrugged. "No one usually bothers a doctor with such details," he said kindly as he took the letter and placed it on the nightstand. "I assume that she and Mr. Keller have worked out an arrangement."

"Where is Lieutenant Davis?" she asked suddenly.

Sasquatch hesitated again, and then said, "The general informed me that he was released from duty earlier today and he is heading home now." The doctor didn't know exactly what the cryptic message really meant, but apparently the captain did.

"Oh," was all she said before laying her head back down on her pillow. The doctor smiled sadly as he checked the medicine bags one more time before shutting the room lights off and closing the door.

Alexis stared at the ceiling in the dark, waiting for the medicine to take effect and knock her out for the night. She had no doubt that Starscream was back among the stars where he rightfully belonged.

Alexis Preston closed her eyes for sleep.

-------------

Lennox climbed into the truck bed, securing the last few items. Sarah was going to flay him for coming home without a reasonable excuse, seeing that he had only seen her for a smattering of days since Mission City, plus the fact he had left home one night without leaving a note once he had been contacted about the Washington operation.

"Ironhide, do you have any qualms about defending yourself or me from angry females?" he asked as he checked the last box.

"Why?" Ironhide asked, immediately suspicious of Lennox's intentions.

"Cause Sarah is going to be mightily ticked off with me when I get back home," Lennox said as Epps walked over.

"Ha ha, Monique is a-okay with whatever I do as long as I don't break any laws and lose the house," Epps said, grinning broadly. "Also, she doesn't care as long as I write to her every other day I'm gone."

"We should have a party where we get together and invite relatives from both sides, even the bratty ones. Ironhide loves kids; I bet that Sam and Mikaela are his favorites," Lennox said, fighting back a grin.

"You mean his cannons love bratty kids," Epps said, grinning broadly. "How does that sound 'Hide? Tailgate party complete with games and a swimming pool."

Ironhide made some sound that seemed to communicate his mortification.

"What will you be doing kid?" Lennox asked as Mikaela and Sam walked by towards Bumblebee.

"Eh, school stuff. SATs, ACTs, college apps… whatever they do to prep for college," Sam said, shrugging. He stumbled as he tripped over his shoelaces, and Epps discreetly shook his head in amusement.

"Captain Lennox?"

Lennox and Epps both looked up to see suited, sunglass-wearing, VIPs approaching from the entrance of the garage. "Are you Captain Lennox?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir," Lennox replied warily. He wasn't going to call to attention to the fact that it was technically night time, and sunglasses weren't really necessary.

"We need to talk to both you and, uh, Ironhide about something that's national security level," the second man said.

"All right. I'll be right back," Lennox told Epps, jumping out of the truck bed and followed the two men back towards the building.

They didn't go directly back. They stopped where Rose Connelly was talking quietly with Ratchet's hologram. Lennox politely looked away, feeling like an intruder on what was clearly supposed to be a private conversation.

"Miss Connelly?" one of the men asked, catching her attention.

"Yes?" she replied, walking up to them while Ratchet's hologram vanished from sight.

"We want you to come with us please," the second man said, mimicking the tone of his companion.

Rose looked at the two of them, her opinion of this behavior coming to her lips. Lennox gestured discreetly from behind the two men, suggesting to her to keep her opinion to herself. Sighing, she followed Lennox and the two men towards the government building. "Any bloody idea about what they want?" she whispered to Lennox, her irritation apparent in her tone.

Lennox shrugged. "I just follow one rule with guys like these; keep them happy for now." The two of them watched as the two government officials rounded up Sam, Mikaela, Bumblebee and Ratchet, who came along, keeping his counsel to himself.

Rose pressed her lips together, but didn't say anything. She was quiet for the rest of the trip into the building.

-------------

Ari stretched her arms as she left the gym after an intense workout, and then rubbed her towel against the back of her sweaty neck. Her therapist had recommended physical exercise as a way of letting out her terror of the giant robots. In fact, she felt better already, and less scared, an improvement considering that this was her first therapeutic exercise. Maybe a couple of weeks of this exercise before going on their group vacation to Great Britain would do the trick, and she would no longer be afraid of something that didn't exist.

Humming to herself, she focused her thoughts on the song rather than the path itself. It was a peppy sort of tune, like one of those songs that one wakes up to on a Monday morning and thinks, 'it is just _way_ too early in the morning and week for that sort of joy'. Actually, if she was going to assign a day of the week to the song she was humming, it would probably be a Friday night song.

'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' was definitely a Friday night song.

Ari walked down the hall, thinking of her plans for her time on leave while singing her Friday night song softly to herself. First, she was going to Boston to pay a visit to her mother and her old driving instructor, pilfer the plane tickets he owed her, and then get on the first flight out of the country.

Wait… she had to work in renewing her passport in there somewhere. General Stanton hadn't been a big international traveler while the squadron was on duty, so Ari didn't think she was going to need it for a while. As fate would have it, the damned document went missing in action about a year prior to the Mission City attacks. Then Stryker Davis of all people accidentally found the document without meaning to: when he and Alexis had been destroying the hangar the first time, a firecracker had apparently smashed into the wall, shaking the hangar. A box had fallen onto the ground, spilling its contents. Ari found her passport near the open box, but it was covered in pink goo and had been expired for about six months.

Ari muttered a curse to herself. Renewing the darn things took precious hours… but she did want to go to Great Britain. She made a mental note to renew it here in the capital while she waited for Alexis to get out of the doctor's prison.

She wondered if she should have invited Stryker to come along. A trip with friends had to be better than going home. Plus she would've got to see the end to the Stryker-Alexis drama that occupied a large part of her life at the moment.

Ari continued singing as she approached the door, not paying attention to the brass plate on the door identifying that it led to the main hangars. She frowned when the doorknob refused to turn, and muttered to herself, "Damn it Tobias. Don't you know _not_ to lock the damn door… it's the freaking girls' quarters!" She swiped her military ID card through the lock, and nodded with satisfaction at the click that announced that the door was unlocked. At this point, she had just gotten to the rousing chorus of her Friday night song, and sang it loud and proud as she walked in.

Ari came to an abrupt stop when she got a real sense of her surroundings.

First off, it wasn't the girls' quarters. Two… _men_, Secret Service or FBI guys from the looks of them, Alexis's army buddies, and those two annoying teenagers all looked up and stared at her, mainly in surprise. Ari's gut churned uncomfortably when she vaguely recognized the giant robots standing there behind the humans, all staring at her as well.

"Aw shit," she said, becoming very well aware of her baggy, sweaty self-appearance as well as the return of the iron giants. She let out a breath out of one side of her mouth and said, "Wow, uh, hey guys… I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"No kidding. I need you here anyway, captain," one of the FBI guys said.

"As much as I appreciate the instantaneous promotion, I'm going to have to decline. I have business that calls elsewhere," Ari said sweetly, edging out the door.

"She's not the captain; the captain is in the hospital still," Will said, catching the attention of the other FBI guy. "She's a second lieutenant."

"You mean another underling who has next to no clue about their surroundings?" the first FBI guy said.

Ari scowled. "For your information, I outran the same cop _three_ times, dodged and hid from an eighteen-wheeler cab, and that part wasn't easy, plus I fly a F-22 as a part of my _job_, I car-jacked a truck in an attempt to escape the aforementioned cop, _and_ I managed to survive the Mission City attacks. So _there_," she snapped.

"Just get your captain now! I don't care if you have to drag her here, just get her and shut up!" one of the agents snapped, his patience snapping with the pilot's inattentiveness. "It's a miracle you made it this far in the military at all!"

Ari toyed with the idea of submitting to her fears and running like the man suggested. But she couldn't let him get away with insulting her and ordering the captain around as though the captain was a mere servant rather than an officer. She decided to approach the man.

"Do you know what a rat tail is?" she asked, walking towards the man while twisting her towel into a makeshift whip.

"Don't you dare!" the man shouted, jumping back out of range of the weapon. The black iron giant reacted by pulling out one of the biggest cannons she'd ever seen and aiming it straight at her face.

It was enough to send Ari running from the room.

"This ain't over!" she shouted over her shoulder as she rushed back to the hospital to find the doctor.

Time to make some serious changes to her lifestyle.

--------------

As night fell over the capital city while signaling the end of another day, it also signaled the end of a certain someone's government career.

Simmons snarled out a curse as the car trunk refused to close. There was too much damn junk in the trunk, but it all had to go. He was never coming back… no, not after that, that, _bitch_ successfully nailed in the last few nails in his career's coffin. What wasn't fair was that since he handed the reins over to Lynch in the beginning of all this, technically Simmons himself had no part in the operation. So he shouldn't be punished at all.

Yet here he was, packing his stuff like an evicted tenant.

"Sir?"

He turned around, ready to bite off the head of the first guy to interrupt him, but stopped when he found that it was his longtime friend Tom Banachek. "What do you want?" Simmons snapped as he pulled out two suitcases in an attempt to pack them up again.

"One of the agents at Andrews found this," he said, holding out a box. Curious, Simmons opened the box, and then unwrapped the object's cloth covering.

"Gorgeous," he breathed as he pulled out the deactivated head of Frenzy. "Maybe I'll pick at this while I'm in exile, see what I can learn from the little bugger. See what the aliens are really planning to do here."

"Do you know where you'll be going?" Banachek asked as Simmons put the head back into the box and put it all in the backseat.

"New York. My mother's got a place there and she's the only relative who has offered work and a place to stay," Simmons said, grunting a few seconds later as he tried forcefully shoving the cases in. To his satisfaction, they went in and stayed. To his even greater happiness, the damn car trunk finally shut properly.

"Do you want to stay in contact?" Banachek asked, watching as his former boss walked around to the driver's side.

"Probably better if we didn't. Don't want to give _her_ a reason to suspect that we're still in collaboration and then give her an excuse to get you fired too. It was an honor working with you Tom," Simmons said, saluting sharply.

Tom Banachek responded in kind and turned around, vanishing back into the night as he walked back across the parking lot to the government building.

Simmons meanwhile got into his car and buckled himself in. He had left the keys in the ignition when he went to the back to fix his luggage, just so that it would be easier to leave faster. He reached forward for the keys, but his fingers only found air and a piece of paper.

Seething, Simmons ripped the note off the ignition and squinted at the message, using the door lights as a reading light. The note read:

MISSING SOMETHING? ;-)

All the way over in the government building, a clerk looked up when he faintly heard what sounded like screams, as though somebody was either being murdered or was going to be. The clerk leaned over and quickly dialed 911 to report the screaming. He momentarily forgot that the sort of screaming he'd just heard could also be done in extreme anger and frustration.

Also in the building but down the hall from the clerk, pilots Tobias Jackson and Andrew Montez were leaning against the wall near the vending machine, Tobias enjoying a soda while Andrew was making quick work of a packet of Cheez-Its. At the sound of the scream, Tobias tilted his head and said, "He sounds awful mad."

"I wonder why," Andrew replied, swinging a key chain that had three keys around his pointer finger. "Makes one wonder if the car keys fell under the seat again."

"Or got borrowed without permission and then were conveniently misplaced in the ladies room," Tobias said, grinning.

"Either way, he's gotta keep better track of his stuff and stop blaming others for the stuff that goes missing in his life," Andrew said, grinning. He tossed the keychain up into the air and caught it deftly with one finger through the key ring.

"Let's go find Ari and see if she wouldn't mind 'misplacing' them for us. I am damned sure that I'm not going into the ladies room, even to drop off a set of car keys," Tobias suggested, and the two men went off to go find their wayward comrade.

-------------

Hidden away and locked up from all society, Ross Lynch paced his cell, awaiting his trial that was taking place in the morning. The clumsy oaf Rad White had yet to arrive to 'keep him company', as Stanton put it. Lynch wasn't worried too much about him. The two men were going to be tried separately, and White was more likely to get the shorter sentence, seeing that he couldn't properly assassinate anyone. Lynch was convinced that the two 'leaks', Marcus Kowalski and Monica Wethersfield, were still alive as well, especially since Stanton passed along the news that Thayer was still alive.

A grin broke out on Lynch's face. Yet, he still found something humorous in his current… 'predicament'. Simmons was still free. Numerous other nameless and loyal ex-Sector Seven agents were still free. The entire history of Sector Seven and every piece of data, no matter how small or large, was under secure protection by the good leader.

Also still free was the agent Craig Donaldson. When Stanton asked for his location, Lynch denied not knowing it. But he did. He _did_. He did know, and he was the only one who ever would. He also knew why the general wanted Donaldson, why she sought him out. That was why he denied knowing where Donaldson was.

The prison guard looked up from his magazine at the laughter that was building up on the other end of the hall. A happy prisoner was a dangerous prisoner.

Lynch was very happy because he had the last laugh on everybody's expense.

----------------

It was now past midnight in Washington DC. Most of the city was fast asleep, yet he could still hear the sounds of traffic outside the nearby window. The halls echoed with his footsteps, and his scanners showed that no one was within seven floors of him, above and below. So he was reasonably not concerned about being caught in a restricted section of the military headquarters in the Pentagon.

Starscream getting caught. What a laughable concept. Even Megatron might have found the concept amusing if not promising.

Dressed in the U.S. Air Force dress uniform, Starscream calmly approached one of the security terminals on the floor. He didn't want to jinx any recordings or steal any footage, no he wanted to steal a little information from the highest-secured databanks of the Pentagon. He knew that if he tried to access it from his robotic form, alarms would go off at the hacking. So it was in the human appearance that would grant him the security he needed.

One of Megatron's abundant failures was the ability to recognize the usefulness of the human race. Barricade at least had the sense to recognize that fact after Starscream had outlined the plan to him that night in Washington DC. The cruiser even tolerated consorting with the Autobots.

Barricade had lingered in the capital for a couple of days after the operation, his mission a secret to even Starscream. Then he disappeared altogether, laying low until the moment called him back to duty.

He sighed as he accessed the Pentagon's network. Captain Alexis Preston owed him five times over. One, she repaid him by destroying the anti-aircraft battery that had been carrying sabot rounds, enabling him to get closer to the battleground. Two, she repaid him by allowing Frenzy to accompany her and Ari to the Pentagon in the first place, allowing the little Decepticon to get a good look around the entrance into the building and the security measures the humans used. Three, she had repaid him by unknowingly allowing him use of her military ID card so that he could use it in the numerous security scanners to get this far. Four, she repaid him by allowing him to plant the small, undetectable tracer into her bloodstream when he had visited her in the hospital earlier; he liked to be prepared should he need her for some odd reason or another in the future, although the chances of that happening were close to nil.

He was going to save number five for when he needed her to do something drastic for him. One never knew when that was going to happen, it was there as a precaution.

Starscream easily began hacking into networks, using remote, untraceable codes. He knew exactly what he needed. He had known his goal ever since he had stepped foot inside that base in the southwest all those months ago. Alexis Preston had merely been a means to an end. He had just needed to soften up to her so she would cooperate and be less of a problem.

He was planning to keep his promise to her however. He just never specified as to _when_ he would come back.

A soft _ping _announced that he had found what he wanted. Starscream carefully memorized the information about where Megatron and other defeated Decepticons had been dumped in the ocean, at the Laurentian Abyss. He memorized the exact coordinates, the humans' many security measures, and the plans for the Autobots in the future, some human-robot cooperation group that was currently unnamed at the moment. Then he shut down the monitor, his personal mission finished and future plans forming.

Not a human soul saw his hologram vanish. The only witness, a little field mouse, promptly forgot about what it had just seen a few seconds later.

-Finis-

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_~Disclaimer~_

_~This is a work of fanfiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of another company, or are the products of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, places, or locales are entirely coincidental_.

_~Transformers and all related media belong to Hasbro._

_~The character of Rosa Lee 'Rose' Connelly belongs to BlackwingRose and requires her permission to use elsewhere._

_~The product of 'Cheez-Its' belong to their proper owners._

_~All original characters belong to me and require my written permission to use elsewhere._

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A/N: First, I apologize for the long disclaimer… the first one was picked up in a book and altered to fit the piece better, and the other four break things down to be more specific as to what belongs to who. Second, I actually had this chapter pre-written for about a week now, so I decided to post it. Third, wow. It seems like ages since I started this story, and I can still vaguely remember fretting to myself that it wouldn't do well because it was the second story I ever posted. All I can say now, is THANK YOU SO MUCH for the reviews, the favorites, the alerts, and the support from you all. I'm very happy that you all enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it and hearing from everybody. Until next time then. :)

-Mistflyer1102

p.s.: as for the sequel, the first chapter will be posted today, under the title of Operation Jaguar. If you don't see it on the profile, check back again later. I personally don't like how it takes 4 - 8 hours to get stuff up online.


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